In Live and Let Die, Mr. Big’s chilling directive signals a level of operational discipline that extends far beyond Bond’s immediate predicament. The phrase “this time” implies a history of prior interference and suggests a larger world of failed investigations and quietly eliminated threats.

The other “times” make me curious. If Bond 26 truly functions as a reboot following the events of No Time to Die, Amazon has an opportunity to rethink not just Bond’s origins, but also a villain’s as well. Charting the rise of a criminal drug empire alongside a young Bond could contribute to developing a Bond “universe,” since Bond’s death in No Time To Die permanently altered any previously held notions of a normal Bond movie. The challenge would be resorting to nostalgia for its own sake, and ensuring that revisiting a figure like Mr. Big feels purposeful rather than desperation.