Death isn’t always a guarantee, even in the world of the James Bond movies. Though it’s pretty certain that Daniel Craig’s 007 is indeed done and dusted, thanks to his recent departure from the role after No Time To Die. However, another Bond actor isn’t totally convinced he’s taken his final bow, as Christoph Waltz has recently questioned if his incarnation of Ernst Stavro Blofeld is truly dead.
I was as shocked as you probably are reading that statement, but when I spoke with Mr. Waltz amid Prime Video’s press day for The Consultant, that’s exactly what came up. When I’d asked for his reaction to returning for the fifth and final chapter of Daniel Craig’s James Bond run, only to die in short fashion, Christoph Waltz shared these thoughts with CinemaBlend:
Do we know for sure? … I want to be Blofeld in every Bond, henceforth. Whether or not Barbara [Broccoli] or Michael [G. Wilson] will agree to that, I have my doubts. … Here’s the thing: Barbara and Michael know exactly what they’re doing. Exactly. And they’re the only ones, everything else is speculation. I know it’s fun to speculate, but it doesn’t really make that much sense.
If that isn’t a truly Blofeld answer, I don’t know what is. The mental gymnastics to connect the dots alone would be enough to send 007 fans into conspiracy theory mode. Which, undoubtedly, would also open the door for theories that if Blofeld could survive Rami Malek's evil nanobot plot, then Commander Bond could have walked away unscathed from his date with detonated destiny.
The long and the short of it is that the Christoph Waltz incarnation of Blofeld supposedly died because of Project Heracles: a DNA-targeting weapon. That's the same device that caused Commander Bond to sacrifice himself, because once a person is carrying those nanobots, they can't get rid of them. (Cue the somber Hans Zimmer music, and tearful goodbye before the largest explosion in movie history blasts 007 to smithereens.)
What's worse, anyone with the DNA signature of that person would be at risk, which meant that Bond's daughter, Mathilde, would also be in the crosshairs. So if Blofeld could withstand the attack that came from his No Time To Die interrogation, the danger to anyone in Bond's life goes away. That, in turn, makes his sacrifice a bit hasty, and would definitely have people talking.
Then again, considering how we last saw Ernst Stavro Blofeld on screen, his condition does seem to play towards Christoph Waltz's doubts that he'll be back. In case it's been a while since you've seen the 25th James Bond movie, here's a shot of that moment:
Yeah, that's not exactly a look that screams, "Ernst Stavro Blofeld will return," but stranger things have happened. Admittedly, I’m not sure whether this answer, or Christoph Waltz’s defense of two controversial Bond moments, would drum up more controversy. Though this isn't to say that anyone, myself especially, would be against this Blofeld having more dastardly adventures down the road.
That's especially true for me after hearing the Academy Award winner glow about how he’d love to return to play the archenemy of 007, and leader of SPECTRE. Some had questioned whether or not Christoph Waltz was truly having any fun with the role, especially in the early days when he had to continually deny he was even playing Blofeld in the first place. I think we can definitely put that subject to rest, as Waltz sounds far from burdened in terms of his newfound connection to the longest running cinematic franchise in history.
You can't deny how he lit up when discussing all things James Bond, so unless he's breaking out those Oscar winning chops, I think it's safe to say he's indeed game to come back. The notion of seeing more of his Blofeld would be welcomed, should Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson see it fit to bring him back. Which is a discussion that ultimately opens up the usual can of worms between 007 castings: who exactly will be brought back in the new era of Bond?
It’s always a question that’s asked when the inevitable changing of the tuxedoed guard takes place, and it’s extremely vital at this point in the James Bond franchise. Just as we’ve gotten a new MI6 family, the current Commander has checked out and left the prime job vacancy up for grabs. It’s led folks like current Q Ben Whishaw questioning a potential return, and unfortunately presuming that the answer will be no.
From where I’m standing, keeping the MI6 family, as well as Christoph Waltz’s Blofeld, wouldn’t be a terrible decision. We’ve already seen James Bond canon play it fast and loose in the past, with Daniel Craig’s serialized story being a rarity of tightly connected continuity. Perhaps the world would be open to such a concept once more, especially if the new tone and casting for the next Bond era played towards the lighthearted/spectacle drive nature some wish would return.
If that were the case, Christoph Waltz would especially be welcomed, as a more Hans Landa-style Blofeld might make people even more excited to see him again. And there wouldn’t be a need to worry about Spectre’s “Brofeld” twist rearing its head again because ,if Ernst Stavro Blofeld and James Bond could forget they had ever met once before, like in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, then they could surely do it again.
As always, James Bond will return. We just don’t know when, with which face, and what allies and foes will be along for the ride. In the meantime, if you want to dig into some more gleeful Christoph Waltz villainy, I highly recommend binging The Consultant, which is currently streaming for those holding a Prime Video subscription. That also happens to be the current streaming home of Waltz's latest Bond movie, No Time To Die, so you could also choose to revisit his character's moment, forming your own theories for how the evil Blofeld could have cheated death yet again.
