"It's called life, James": Deconstructing Inclusivity in Skyfall and No Time to Die

Abstract

This article explores two of Daniel Craig’s Bond films, Skyfall (2012) and No Time to Die (2021), and the ways in which they seem to offer progressive inclusivity while ultimately reinforcing the exploitative history of the franchise. This study focuses on the changes made to longstanding characters (M, Moneypenny, Felix Leiter, Bond villains, and even the titular 007) in a failed attempt at modernisation and diversity. Despite the changes made to the supporting cast - such as casting Judi Dench as M, casting Black actors as Moneypenny and Felix Leiter, or dropping lines about Q’s sexuality - these two films promote Bond’s way of life as the correct way, a way of life cemented by his death. Both films are tied together by their narrative similarities as well as their mistreatment of minorities, which, though less explicit than in earlier films, is still present in the franchise’s continued desire for white patriarchal dominance. Despite more recent changes to Bond’s allies and villains, which would appear to be a grab for LGBTQ+ inclusion, BIPOC inclusion, and sex/gender equality, the conclusions of both Skyfall and No Time to Die maintain Bond’s white, heteronormative, and masculine control as an agent and representative of the British Empire.