With a unique look, cold, calculating demeanor, and a penchant for torturing men with a tightly knotted noose, Mikkelson has continued to live on in the hearts of Bond fans everywhere.
Of course, a Leap is only as good as the villains it faces, and Mikkelsen’s Cipher is widely regarded as one of the best Bond villains in recent memory. The Bond franchise was essentially reinvented with Casino Royale, and audiences got their first glimpse of Daniel Craig’s grainy, bolder Bond approach. A lot of pressure was put on the 2006 Bond film after the somewhat lackluster entry into the Pierce Brosnan Bond era with Die another day. Casting director for Casino Royale, Debbie McWilliams, revealed that Mads Mikkelsen was not her initial choice to play the villain of the film.