The "No Time To Die" Director Called Out Sean Connery's James Bond For Being "Basically" A Rapist

Warning: The following content includes discussion of rape.

The new James Bond film — Daniel Craig's last — No Time To Die, premieres next month. Ahead of it, the star as well as the director Cary Fukunaga have been doing a lot of reflecting on issues with the franchise.

Looking back at the first handful of James Bond films, where 007 was played by Sean Connery, Fukunaga went in on how women were treated in the series. Specifically by James Bond.

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Cary highlighted how early James Bonds were egotistical, misogynistic, and sometimes casually violent toward women — and called out Sean's James Bond for "basically" being a rapist, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

"Is it Thunderball or Goldfinger where, like, basically Sean Connery's character rapes a woman? She's like 'No, no, no,' and he's like, 'Yes, yes, yes," Cary questioned, before adding, "That wouldn't fly today."

Over the years viewers have pointed out the same — in Goldfinger, the franchise's third film, and most popular according to Rotten Tomatoes, James Bond pins down Pussy Galore and forces himself on her as she says no.

This — and all of the problems with inclusivity and misogyny — makes you wonder if the franchise is even worth continuing. Cary's No Time To Die is attempting to course correct.

"From my very first conversations with [the film's producer, Barbara Broccoli], that was a very strong drive," Cary said. "You can't change Bond overnight into a different person. But you can definitely change the world around him and the way he has to function in that world."

"It's a story about a white man as a spy in this world," he added, "But you have to be willing to lean in and do the work to make the female characters more than just contrivances."

No Time To Die aims to do that. Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge helped write the script, becoming the second woman to work on a James Bond screenplay.

Lashana Lynch will also make her James Bond debut as Nomi, the first ever 007 who is a Black woman.

Last November Lashana called the opportunity "very revolutionary," while talking about the racist abuse she experienced after being cast. "If it were another Black woman cast in the role, it would have been the same conversation, she would have got the same attacks, the same abuse," she said.

No Time To Die opens in theaters on October 8. Will you be seeing it?

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search your local center here.