No matter how many enemies 007 faces, his legacy lives on.

THE BIG PICTURE

 James Bond’s iconic character was shaped by real espionage work from the Cold War era.
 The action-packed Bond franchise has embraced high levels of gun violence for decades.
 No Time To Die marks a bold departure for Bond, with a self-sacrificing end to Daniel Craig’s era as the spy.

The action film genre has spawned many endearing protagonists whose adventures have been chronicled over the course of multiple installments.

Although there is always a risk that a franchise may go stale after audiences get used to the inherent clichés of the genre, the James Bond series has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

With 27 films released over the course of over six decades, the Bond series has endeared itself to multiple generations of moviegoers, each of which has a preference for whom the best 007 has been. However, the “unkillable” nature of Bond doesn’t just refer to his franchise’s longevity.

The character of Bond has been shot at over 4,000 times on screen, but no opponent has managed to kill him yet.

How Many Times Has James Bond Been Shot?

Although the franchise has become synonymous with the action genre, the origin of Bond’s story comes from real espionage work. The franchise is based on a series of novels by Ian Fleming, who drew in his own experiences in spycraft when writing the adventures.

Although some of the Bond films are closer to the original source material than others, Bond has consistently been in danger throughout every adaptation.

Fleming aimed to develop a world and character that represented the hostile nature of espionage that emerged in the 1960s during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom.

While Fleming’s novels provided the explanation for why 007 was constantly in danger, the Bond films have exemplified this suspense through the prioritization of action sequences.

The release of Dr. No in 1962 kicked off a new wave of action cinema that featured exotic locations, high-tech gadgets, and practically performed stunt sequences.

Although the early films contained a spirit of superficiality that wasn’t necessarily representative of Fleming’s original intent, Bond manages to avoid a heavy amount of gunfire in each installment.

Experts found that Bond was shot at 4,662 times within the first 50 years of the series, with Spectre and No Time To Die pushing the total closer to 5,000.

The high level of gun violence in the franchise isn’t surprising, as the Bond series puts a strong emphasis on its action sequences.

In addition to the standard pre-credits action sequences that kick off each film on a high note, Bond rarely goes up against just one villain; ruthless antagonists like Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) or Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) employ a gang of henchmen who force 007 into even more gunfights.

While the films have molded Bond into a more empathic character, it’s easy to forget that he is first and foremost an assassin.

Bond has a “license to kill” that he makes use of quite frequently, and manages to match some of his most ruthless villains in increasingly brutal fashion.

‘No Time To Die’ Tread New Ground for a James Bond Movie

Although none of his would-be assassins have managed to put a bullet in his chest, Bond was killed off for the first time in the film No Time To Die.

In the final installment of Daniel Craig’s run as the character, Bond travels to a remote island controlled by the malevolent terrorist Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), who has captured both his love interest, Madeline Swann (Léa Seydoux), and their young daughter, Mathilde (Lisa-Dorah Sonnet).

Although he is successful in rescuing his family from danger, Bond realizes that Safin’s facility must be destroyed by a missile strike in order to prevent his deadly weapons from being used.

In the ultimate act of self-sacrifice, Bond stays behind to ensure that his allies Nomi (Lashana Lynch), Q (Ben Whishaw), and Eve Moneypenny (Naomi Harris) can solve the crisis. It made for an unexpectedly touching ending to one of the most action-packed installments in the series thus far.

No Time To Die still ended with a teaser that “James Bond will return,” suggesting that the series would continue with a new actor cast as 007.

While the consequences of No Time To Die may not last beyond the Craig era of the series, it’s fitting that Bond’s first onscreen death didn’t come from gunfire.

Killing off a character that has existed for over six decades was a bold move, and it would have been underwritten for Bond to simply be gunned down.

Watching Bond be engulfed by a powerful explosive as he saves those he cares about speaks significantly to how the character has evolved; although earlier iterations of the character were defined by his womanizing and irresponsibility, Bond emerges as a much more selfless character in No Time To Die.

While the decision was largely controversial among Bond fans, Craig voiced his enthusiasm for killing off the character. 

Craig revealed that he felt the character should be “reset” so that the next actor cast in the role would have the opportunity to completely reinvent the character and feel more unique.

Although casting rumors about the next Bond continue to pop up, there will undoubtedly be a lot of pressure on whoever is tasked with fulfilling Craig’s legacy.

The movie adaptation shares a name… and little else.

The James Bond Movies Have Become More Realistic

While it’s almost comical how many times the character has survived being shot at, many versions of the Bond franchise were not very realistic.

 Although the five films that Connery starred in were far sillier than Fleming’s original text, the films starring Roger Moore as Bond often aired on the side of complete comedy.

Given the heightened tone, it’s not surprising that Bond has essentially become immortal.

The Bond franchise has grown more realistic over time, as the films starring Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Craig have acknowledged real-world threats and political issues.

While Bond has still managed to survive innumerable gun shots, these films at least try to paint him as a more vulnerable character who is capable of sustaining injuries.

No Time To Die is available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime in the U.S.