Christoph Waltz May Return to James Bond, With A Catch

It is rumored that Christoph Waltz will return for at least two more James Bond films, but the deal comes with a catch.

An anonymous source with Mirror claims that Christoph Waltz has signed on with Eon Productions for two more James Bond films. However, the actor will allegedly only return if Daniel Craig returns as well.

The Bond actor made comments prior to the Spectre release that he would rather “slash his own wrists” than return to the role as the MI6 spy. These comments were later defused, and it appears that Craig may in fact return for a fifth film, although nothing is confirmed as of yet.

What should we make of this Mirror story?

If Craig comes back, then, according to the story, Waltz will return as well. This inevitably means that the Bond franchise will revert back to its early days, where each film revolves around SPECTRE and its various criminal dealings.

I don’t know if this is the best choice for the franchise. Blofeld as a character made appearances in six Bond films prior to Spectre. In some of these films, we never even see the megalomaniac’s face.

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Initially, the mystique of the character was the draw to him. In the Connery Bond films, viewers were itching to see just exactly who Blofeld was. This happened in You Only Live Twice, and he became the first main Bond villain to survive at the end of their respective film. He would later appear in subsequent movies, portrayed by different actors. And, to be honest, Blofeld overstayed his welcome.

The best thing about the Craig Bond films is that it dissociated itself with the worn-out conventions of Bond. Where the Brosnan era ran those conventions into the ground, Craig came out on top because of the gritty callousness of the character. The fact that SPECTRE had nothing to do with these films made it all the better.

Now, with Spectre, we learn that every Craig Bond film previous is all thanks to SPECTRE. I’m not a huge fan of this retcon. Just because Quantum of Solace was received poorly doesn’t mean that Quantum has to be put on the back burner. As a viewer, I would have rather learned more about Quantum than learn that Quantum is a dwarf compared to SPECTRE, an organization that we have seen in numerous films in the past.

I have nothing against Christoph Waltz. I think he is an amazing actor. But I would much rather see him in different roles. The Bond universe shouldn’t continue to re-tread on old ground, in my opinion. If Craig and Waltz have to leave the franchise in order for a new direction to be taken, then I would be okay with that.

Wouldn’t it be nice to see a completely new Bond film? Mendes is likely leaving. Craig is clearly showing signs of Bond fatigue. Bring in a new ensemble of creative minds and reboot the franchise like Casino Royale did so effectively in 2006.

Next: The Man Who May Be the Next Bond: Aidan Turner

As always, thanks for reading!

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