"Not Just a Double-O": Shifting Embodiments of Female Heroism in <em>No Time to Die</em>

Abstract

Like the spiralling title credits of Casino Royale (2006), the representation of women in Bond films has not always followed a linear path. The evolution of female characters has generally been viewed as peaking in the Brosnan-era with the introduction of a stern female M (Judi Dench) in GoldenEye (1995) and the highly skilled Agent Lin (Michelle Yeoh) in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). Craig-era films continued to cast Dench, but by SkyFall’s release (2012), M was discarded, and, barring a few exceptions, female representation of Agent Lin’s caliber was replaced with disposable anti-heroines such as Severine (Berenice Marlohe). This article reassesses Craig-era Bond women, specifically in No Time To Die (2021) by focussing on the shifting nature of their embodiment. The depiction of these Bond women and their various lived experiences of womanhood have profound implications for the continuation of the series. The article argues that these female protagonists re-envision the Bond heroine so to as align with feminist movements (such as #MeToo) and themes. Drawing from feminist-phenomenological frameworks rooted in sensory scholarship and Beauvoirean philosophy, this article looks back at previous examples of prominent female spies in the Bond films to determine how the latest film instalment recycles and re-imagines the female action heroine through the body. Loaded with power and independence, these new protagonists function not just as female Double-O's but agentic cinematic characters in their own right.