It looks like one of James Bond’s under-the-cover missions has had unexpected top-secret consequences for the super-spy.
Sources believe the silver-screen MI6 agent is now going to be a dad.
The cinema release of his 25th outing, No Time To Die, has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
But when it finally hits the big screen in November, 007 will have a daughter in tow.
Rumours began last week that he may have a family when call sheets – which tell actors their filming schedule – went up for sale on eBay.
One describes a scene shot in southern Italy last year, which featured Bond’s lover Dr Madeleine Swann, 00 agent Nomi and a child called Mathilde, played by five-year-old Lisa-Dorah Sonne.
It also described a scene where “Nomi pilots Madeleine and Mathilde to safety with the island in the background”. Reports yesterday said this was proof that Mathilde is the child of Bond and Dr Swann, played by Lea Seydoux.
Photographs taken on set show a young girl wearing blue dungarees, but it is not known if she is Mathilde.
The storyline is thought to have been worked on by Flea-bag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge after she was hired to jazz up the script.
Insiders say it will help show how Bond has aged, with actor Daniel Craig now 52 himself.
“Making him a father opens up a whole new world in terms of drama and story development,” one source has said.
“Bond finding out he is a father is integral to the plot.”
The movie, Daniel’s last, was due out in April but is now slated for a November release.
It finds Bond retired from active service and enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica when old friend and CIA agent Felix Leiter turns up asking for his help with one final mission.
