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No Time To Die’s Ana De Armas Is A Realistic & Empowered Bond Girl
Ana De Armas says that Paloma, her character in No Time To Die, isn't a stereotypical Bond girl, calling her more realistic and empowered than usual. The upcoming Bond film is set to be Daniel Craig's fifth and last in the role, stepping down as 007 almost 15 years after first portraying him in Casino Royale. As such, Craig and director Cary Joji Fukunaga have spoken about upping the emotional stakes for Bond in this film, including focusing on his connection to Lea Seydoux's Dr. Madeleine Swann. Billie Eilish's music video for the theme tune confirmed that, by concentrating on Swann.
But Seydoux isn't Craig's only female co-star in No Time To Die, with Lashana Lynch joining the cast as fellow '00' agent Nomi, and De Armas playing Paloma, a deadly CIA agent who helps Bond on his mission. Lynch has already spoken about how the female characters in No Time To Die fixes Bond's history of weak women by giving Nomi agency. And judging by De Armas' action scenes in the trailers, which feature her double-firing two guns and flying through the air to kick a bad guy in the face, she's not so timid either.
Now, De Armas has revealed to Vogue Mexico that her chief concern when taking on the role was that her character not be a stereotype. Instead, she says she wanted Paloma to be "empowered" and "realistic," especially compared to previous Bond girls, who have historically been relegated to eye candy for Bond to sleep with and then forget. You can read her full comments (translated from Spanish) below:
Based on the footage we've seen so far, with Paloma playing more of a sarcastic sidekick to Bond than a typical Bond girl, it looks like De Armas' concerns were addressed. However, the trademark high heels and evening dresses, coupled with her immaculate makeup, make it clear that she's at least partly fulfilling the traditional role of a Bond girl. De Armas was the breakout star of Rian Johnson's Knives Out, alongside an ensemble cast that also included Craig.
Hopefully, though, she's given more depth as she requested, and is a more complex character than just a sexy assassin who is likely to double-cross Bond. Fans have seen that trope multiple times in the Bond franchise, and it's a tired and uninteresting cliche. Even if it does turn out that Paloma is secretly working for Rami Malek's villain Safin, it sounds like No Time To Die will give her more to do than look pretty.
No Time To Die/James Bond 25 (2020)
Release Date: Nov 20, 2020
