Every Bond film since the franchise started way back in 1962, with Sean Connery as 007, has had the memorable leading Bond lady and villain.

In the latest installment, No Time To Die, Oscar-winning actor Rami steps in as Bond's new adversary, playing Lyutsifer Safin, a terrorist leader on a revenge mission.

And having been in promo mode for the new film over the last few weeks, much of it alongside leading man Craig, it appears Malek got a bit of a reprieve from his hectic schedule over the weekend.

Malek, 40, was spotted making his way through the bustling streets of New York City on Saturday with his bodyguard following close behind. 

The Los Angeles native oozed casual-cool in the fashion department dressed in black pants, a matching button-down shirt, and black military-style boots.

At times, during the stroll, he was hard to recognize when he wore sunglasses with a protective mask over his mouth and nose, amid the still dangerous COVID-19.

His bulky bodyguard, dressed in a t-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers, was never too far from the Bohemian Rhapsody star as they made their way from one destination to the next.

In No Time To Die, Malek appears to have seamlessly stepped into the villain role as Safin, a mysterious figure linked to the past of Lea Seydoux's Madeleine Swann, who really gets under Bond's skin.

While trying to find the inner core of his character, his humanity, Malek thought about how there can be a semblance between Bond and his adversary.

'With Safin I thought, "Okay, I'll find a way to really sympathize and empathize with this guy and make the audience fall in love with him perhaps, because they can empathize with his pain,"' he revealed during an interview with Empire.  

'But there's something so dark and evil and sinister about him that I just had to remove myself from him and say, this is not part of my DNA thankfully, and I can just transform into somebody who I don't have to pull anything from and just create something that is exciting to bring to Daniel and 007.'          

Seydoux, who has played Dr. Madeleine Swann, Bond's love interest, since its predecessor Spectre (2015), revealed she expects the film to tug at the emotions of audiences audiences. 

'There's a lot of emotion in this Bond. It's very moving. I bet you're going to cry,' he revealed, adding, 'When I watched it, I cried, which is weird because I am in it.'     

So far, all indications show, the latest 007 installment is on the projection to become a hit at the box office. By grossing 119.1 million from 54 countries, including the United Kingdom, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Spain, it became the first movie since the COVID-19 pandemic to cross the $100 million mark in an overseas debut without the China market.

No Time To Die is the fifth and final time Craig will play the iconic 007 role.