Skyfall Producer Says Homoerotic James Bond Line Was Almost Cut from the Movie: 'We Resisted'

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The intimate scene from Skyfall in which James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) seemingly had sexual tension almost didn't make it into the final version of the 2012 film.

Longtime James Bond franchise producer Barbara Broccoli said the scene was viewed as too homoerotic for studio executives, in a free Apple TV+ special available ahead of the release of No Time to Die on Oct. 8.

In the controversial scene, Bond is tied up to a chair in front of Silva. While tied up, the movie's villain caressed the MI6 agent from his chest to his thighs as he said, "We are the last two rats. We can either eat each other or everyone else."

"You're trying to remember your training now. What's the regulation to cover this? Well, first time for everything I guess," Bardem's character continued as his hands found their way to Bond's thighs.

"What makes you think this is my first time?" the British spy calmly asked.

Of the scene, Broccoli, 61, said, "I remember we were told to cut that line by the studio and we said no, no, no. We resisted."

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"I remember we were the night of the premiere, that line, just the whole place rocked it then with that line. I remember looking at the studio executive [and] going, 'See, told you,'" she added.

Director Sam Mendes added that despite Bond's reputation as a womanizer "there's a huge homoerotic undertow in a lot of Bond movies."

The scene sparked a lot of discussion after the Skyfall premiere in 2012.

"Some people claim it's because I'm, in fact, gay but [that's] not true at all," screenwriter John Logan told The Hollywood Reporter that same year. "Sam and I were discussing, there were so many scenes where Bond goes mano-a-mano with the villain, whether it's Dr. No or Goldfinger or whatever, and there's been so many ways to do a cat-and-mouse and intimidate Bond, and we thought, what would truly make the audience uncomfortable is sexual intimidation; playing the sort of homoerotic card that is sort of always there subtextually."

Eon Productions/Kobal/Shutterstock Daniel Craig in Skyfall

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Craig, 53, and Bardem, 52, also discussed their character's sexualities in separate press conferences in 2012.

"I don't see the world in sexual divisions," Craig said, according to Movieline. "I love that scene. It makes me laugh. I hope it makes you laugh."

The Bond star also addressed speculation that Bardem's character was gay, to which he responded, "I'm like, I think he'll f--- anything," per Movieline.

"It was part of the game, but it's not entirely the game," Bardem said during a press conference about the scene, Movieline reported. He added that his character's objective was to create "uncomfortable situations" for people he met.

The Bond villain added, "Within that, you can read anything that you want or wish. But it was more about putting the other person in a very uncomfortable situation where even James Bond doesn't know how to get out of it."

Eon Productions/Kobal/Shutterstock Daniel Craig in Skyfall

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The conversation surrounding the 007 agent's sexuality and the future of his sexuality continued well after Skyfall's premiere.

In 2015, former Bond character Pierce Brosnan told The Guardian that he supported the idea of a gay 007.

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"Sure. Why not?" the 68-year-old actor said, before adding, "Actually, I don't know how it would work. I don't think Barbara would allow a gay Bond to happen in her lifetime. But it would certainly make for interesting viewing."

The Irish actor noted that a racially diverse casting such as "a great Black actor being James Bond" would probably happen before a queer Bond.

No Time to Die is out in theaters on Oct. 8.