Christoph Waltz won’t be back for James Bond 25

Daniel Craig is back for ‘Bond 25’.

But his arch-nemesis has had second thoughts.

During an interview with Italian news site Talky Movie, actor Christoph Waltz has revealed that he won’t be returning for the upcoming ‘Bond’ sequel.

“No, I’m sorry,” he replied, when asked whether he would return. “I’m really sad, but that’s the tradition, that there is a new… name. Sorry. I would’ve liked to.”

Nielsen Will Now Measure Netflix Audiences
Netflix Reveals Its Most Binged Shows
Netflix Releasing 80 Original Films In 2018

But what does that mean?

Well, there are a few different possibilities.

Bond 25 could have a new villain

It’s no secret that 007 has vanquished his fair share of foes… and it could be that the ‘tradition’ Christoph Waltz is referring to, is that the next Bond movie will have another villain entirely.

Throughout the James Bond franchise, only a handful of villains have appeared multiple times – Blofeld, Mr White, and Jaws. In fact, Daniel Craig’s tenure as Bond has yet to see a recurring villain.

And if there’s another villain in Bond 25, that could be why Christoph Waltz won’t be back.

Another actor may play Blofeld

On the other hand, could the ‘tradition’ be Blofeld’s recasting?

It’s no secret that numerous actors have played the iconic James Bond villain over the years. Blofeld’s first appearance in ‘From Russia with Love’ was played by Anthony Dawson, with his voice provided by Eric Pholmann. But by ‘You Only Live Twice’ the iconic villain was played by Donald Pleasance.

After that, Blofeld was played by Telly Savalas in ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’, then Charles Gray in ‘Diamonds Are Forever’. He was seen only once more in the classic Bond movies, played by John Hollis in ‘For Your Eyes Only’ with a voice by Robert Rietty.

Then finally, we get to Christoph Waltz in ‘Spectre’.

If Blofeld does return in ‘Bond 25’ it could be a neat nod to the earlier movies if the iconic villain had gone through yet-another change of actor. And there could even be a compelling storyline as to why that had to happen.

Christoph Waltz could be lying

Before ‘Spectre’ was released, we heard multiple rumours that Christoph Waltz was going to be playing the iconic Bond villain, Blofeld. Obviously, he was asked about this many, many times… and he denied it every time.

Could they be trying to keep Blofeld’s appearance in ‘Bond 25’ a surprise?

It’s certainly possible. And if Christoph Waltz was going to return as the iconic villain, the studio may be keen for him to keep it under his hat. After all, they may even be planning a neat third-act reveal that will tie back into ‘Spectre’.

Either way, it’s an exciting time for ‘Bond’ fans.

Will Blofeld be back? Or will another villain face off against 007? For now, we’ll have to wait and see… but the possibility of seeing Blofeld return is simply wonderful.

Riz Ahmed In Talks For Netflix’s Hamlet
David Fincher ‘Not Tolerant Of Mistakes’
Samuel L. Jackson Joins Shaft Netflix Reboot