Does James Bond have a daughter in No Time To Die?

Now that the film is finally out, we know for sure if those rumours were true or false – and if you'd like to know more you can read on below. But a warning – the rest of the article obviously includes major spoilers for No Time To Die.

Does James Bond have a daughter?

The short answer is yes – although that news comes as just as much of a shock to 007 as it does to the audience.

At the very start of the film, set five years before the main action, we see Bond and Madeleine Swann experience a major fallout while holidaying in Italy, after he accuses her of betraying him to Spectre. The pair manage to fight their way out of trouble, but as soon as they're safe Bond puts Madeleine on a train and informs her that their relationship is over.

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Of course, that was never going to be their final encounter in the film, and when Bond is drawn back into the espionage fold he comes face to face with her again. Madeleine, it turns out, is the only person that the incarcerated archvillain Blofeld is willing to speak to, and as such she is currently on the MI6 payroll.

Anyway, after Blofeld's death, Bond tracks down Madeleine in her childhood home in Norway and is shocked when he sees a young child sitting on the stairs – playing with a slinky. This child is Mathilde, and although Madeliene insists that Bond is not the father, even at this stage you sense that this doesn't seem likely.

Before we have too much time to dwell on this, though, Bond and Madeleine learn that Safin is closing in on them and the trio escape in a jeep. In the ensuing chase, Bond's efforts are not enough to prevent Madeleine and Mathilde from being captured, and Safin then takes them to an island between Russia and Japan.

With help from his MI6 colleagues, Bond is able to locate them and embarks on a rescue mission, where he comes face to face with Safin – who informs him what he had probably already guessed: Mathilde is his daughter.

This gives the final section of the film even more emotional heft – with Bond given greater personal motivation to save the day.

With rumours as to who the next James Bond actor will be going into overdrive, here are our top guesses.

No Time To Die is in cinemas in the UK from 30th September – visit our Movies hub for more news and features, or find something to watch with our TV Guide.