James Bond is used to operating in the midst of chaos, but the story behind the scenes of Bond 25 is intense even by his standards.

Just a few short months after officially signing on to direct the 25th James Bond film, Danny Boyle abruptly left the production citing “creative differences.” Different rumors have since emerged over the exact reason behind Boyle’s departure. There are some reports that he disagreed with Bond star Daniel Craig over the casting of his main antagonist in the film. And now The Sun claims that the real reason he left was his refusal to participate in a highly unconventional ending for a 007 adventure. Apparently, Bond 25 could have ended with the death of Bond:

An insider said: ‘There were discussions about killing off Bond in dramatic fashion at the end. It would be a final hurrah for Daniel, and leave fans hanging. It would also leave it open for a twist in the next installment — either Bond hadn’t died or there could be a Doctor Who-esque regeneration with a new actor.’

As already noted, there’s a lot of rumors floating around about Bond 25, and this is just one of them. But it’s an interesting one that probably would have made some film fans happy; I’ve seen a lot of people reacting to the news that Bond 25 was in creative turmoil, and likely missing its intended November 2019 release date with relief. Their argument is that James Bond belongs to another era, his time has passed, and it’s time to move on.

I’m not sure I agree. Remember: you only live twice. Bond should get at least one more crack at it. As of this writing, there is still no replacement for Boyle, or news on when Bond 25 will now hit theaters.

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