''The Texan with whom he had shared so many adventures'': Reassessing the Role of Felix Leiter in Fleming’s Bond Novels

Abstract

While the name Felix Leiter undoubtedly rings fewer bells than that of his friend James Bond, Leiter has been part of the Bond franchise since its inception in Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale (1953), and was most recently portrayed by Jefrey Wright in No Time To Die (2021). In an interview with Wright, Fatherly leads with the following: “Making his triumphant return to the world of James Bond [...] he’s back for a third time playing CIA agent Felix Leiter, the man who is James Bond’s best friend” (Britt 2021). In a similar vein, but with a diferent tone, an article in the New York Times before the release of Die Another Day (2002) supposed that “[d]iehard James Bond fans will probably be weeping in their vodka martinis [...]. Once again, a defning element of the 007 flm franchise [...] will be absent. No it’s not Sean Connery. It’s Felix Leiter” (Vinciguerra 2002). Keeping Leiter’s nationality in mind, it is perhaps unsurprising that this sentiment should be expressed in an American newspaper. The article goes on to note that Leiter’s “presence – or lack of it – makes him a valuable barometer of the geopolitical climate that surrounds him” (ibid.). In other words, his presence or absence can be read as a measure of the (political, cultural, economic) Special Relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. While the cinematic Leiter has been read as such in relation to Bond, attention to his character beyond this political reading has been limited, especially regarding his presence in the Fleming novels.