First look at Javier Bardem in Skyfall

Filming for Skyfall, the twenty-third entry in the James Bond series, is well underway in London: we’ve seen a great deal of Daniel Craig, a little bit of Naomie Harris, and now we’re finally getting a look at the movie’s villain, played by the excellent Javier Bardem. The Daily Mail are claiming the character’s name is Silva, although they’ve been wrong before and don’t cite any sources.

The scene in question involves Daniel Craig in pursuit of Bardem’s character, supposedly following an explosion, which would explain the armed police, Bardem’s disguise and Bond’s dusty suit. Bits of the plot are gradually being pieced together, though I won’t spoil anything here since it’s easy to find if you go looking, but the most promising thing is the glimpse of Bardem’s shocking blond hair. The last time the actor was working in such a state of follicular catastrophe was on the Coen Bros’ No Country For Old Men, where he played one of the most memorable villains of modern times. In my desperate need for Skyfall to be the best thing since Sean Connery told Pussy Galore she was a woman of many parts, this is a certain sign of great things to come. You can watch a video of the filming at Bond fansite MI6.