With the new James Bond movie, No Time To Die, finally out, many fans are happy to see Daniel Craig returning in the role for the last time.
Despite the ancitipation, an element of the film directed by Cary Fukunaga has caught the attention of the public. The movie has been criticized for its negative portrayal of facial disfigurement, something that has long been associated to villainy.
James Bond: 'No Time To Die' Slammed For Portrayal Of Disfigurement
The film features two villains, portrayed by Rami Malek and Christoph Waltz, who are disfigured. According to disability campaigners, this reinforces negative stereotypes about those people who have a disfigurement.
"Every time a new James Bond film is made, the producers are asked to reconsider their representation of disfigurement. Every time, they say they don't care. The new film, out this week, is no exception. This time, two villains with facial disfigurements. Lucky us," activists Jen Campbell wrote on Twitter after the movie premiered.
"It's well known that the disfigurement = villainy trope is harmful. It's why@FaceEquality set up the #IAmNotYourVillain campaign, and why the BFI subsequently said they would not fund any films that used visual difference as a marker for villainy," Campbell continued.
Her thread was liked 12.8K times. She even addressed why the argument that disfigurement is used as "literaty tradition" isn't acceptable.
"I'm overly tired of the 'it's just literary tradition' excuse. I'm an author myself and have worked in the book industry for over fifteen years. Talking with publishers about the way disability and disfigurement are represented is part of my job. We still have a long way to go," Campbell said.
The production team hasn't responded to the controversy just yet.
Who Is Going To Play Bond Next?
No Time To Die is Craig's last appearence in the role of the English spy. This means that the quest to find a new 007 is on, with a few names being thrown in the hat.
Idris Elba, recently seen in The Suicide Squad, is among those fans would love to see as 007, alongside the likes of Gentleman Jack star Suranne Jones and Killing Eve co-protagonist Jodie Comer, as well as MCU actress Lashana Lynch, who stars in No Time To Die as Nomi, a 00 agent who entered active service some time after Bond's retirement and was assigned the 007 number.
Whoever the studio might end up casting, here's hoping the new Bond won't be up against a stereotypical villain doing a disservice to the disabled community.