Nomi: The New Face of 007
M. Nomi holds the designation of 007 in the esteemed “Double-O” (00) branch, following the retirement of James Bond. This key character, brought to life by British actress Lashana Lynch, made her debut in the 2021 film No Time To Die. But don’t worry, she’s not a female James Bond, she’s just 007 after Bond retired.
Nomi
After James Bond stepped away from his duties and moved to Jamaica after retiring, the mantle of 007 was handed over to Nomi, an agent that’s the opposite of Bond: female and does things by the book.
With a important scientist, Valdo Obruchev, missing, Nomi decides to inconspicuously keep an eye on Bond in a bar. She orchestrates a minor sabotage to Bond’s Land Rover, subsequently offering him a ride home, with Bond thinking that his luck might be in.
After reaching his home, she discloses her true identity, cautioning him against pursuing Obruchev, oblivious to Bond’s prior refusal to Felix Leiter‘s proposition. Bond responds by asserting that he’s no longer under M‘s command.
Nomi introduces herself as the successor of Bond: the new 007, and subtly mocking him with the implication that he thought the number would retire along with him. He, however, dismisses it as just a number, before she leaves hinting at a future encounter in Cuba.
This triggers Bond to accept the mission, prompted by Leiter and his partner Logan Ash. In Cuba, Bond collaborates with a CIA agent, Paloma, intending to infiltrate the El Nido Bar and get Obruchev.
Meanwhile, Nomi is working on the same objective, resulting in a clash with Bond and Paloma. But Bond and Paloma manage to outmaneuver Nomi, taking possession of Obruchev and leaving her behind.
Bond hands over Obruchev to Leiter, but Agent Ash secretly collaborating with Safin for Project Heracles, double-crosses them. This incident propels Bond to return to Britain to face M at the Secret Intelligence Service headquarters in London.
Bond once again crosses paths with Nomi, who is visibly irked by his presence at HQ, and her annoyance intensifies when Bond is summoned for a private conference with M. When Bond is later reinstated as an agent, Nomi is left puzzled, contemplating whether the 007 title still belongs to her or not.
Partnering with Bond and Q, Nomi ventures to Safin’s headquarters, a clandestine World War II base. While Bond confronts Safin, Nomi focuses on recapturing Obruchev.
The scientist is perturbed at being captured yet again, provocatively informing Nomi about his ability to reprogram the nanobots to eradicate anyone of African lineage. Appalled by this prospect, Nomi decides that it is “time to die,” and she forces him into a massive pool filled with nanobots, causing his immediate death.
Bond later assigns Nomi the task of safeguarding Madeleine and their daughter, and she sees them both to safety. Following the tragic death of James Bond, Nomi, M, Q, and Miss Moneypenny come together to toast to his memory as the movie ends.
Lashana Lynch
Lashana Lynch, a British actress of Jamaican descent, was born on November 27, 1987, in Hammersmith, London. She graduated from the Arts Educational School drama school in London, where she won the Laurence Olivier Bursary in 2009.
Lynch made her film debut in 2012’s Fast Girls, and has since appeared in TV shows such as Silent Witness and Death in Paradise, and was part of the BBC comedy Crims in 2015. She received praise for her leading role in the 2015 Chichester Festival Theatre’s Educating Rita and in 2016, she starred in the American period drama series Still Star-Crossed.
Lashana Lynch played Maria Rambeau in 2019’s Captain Marvel and took on the role of 007 agent Nomi in Bond 25, No Time To Die. She also reprised a variant of her Captain Marvel role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022.
