The 25th James Bond film just got another boost of good news with the announcement that Christoph Waltz will be reprising his role of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the dreaded founder/leader of the global criminal organization known as SPECTRE.

An iconic antagonist of the franchise, Blofeld was supposedly killed by Roger Moore's Bond in 1981's For Your Eyes Only. The iconic villain, who appeared in nine of James' epic adventures, wouldn't show up again until 2016's Spectre. In that film (helmed by Sam Mendes), it is revealed that A) Blofeld is James' adopted brother and B) he was behind the main bad guys of the Daniel Craig era Bond movies up until that point: Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), and Skyfall (2012).

At this time, it's unclear what role Blofeld will play in the story, given the fact that he was captured and jailed by James at the end of the last movie. During that skirmish, the villain also got his famously scarred and cataract-looking eyeball. However, we do know that Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) is taking up the post of the latest 007 baddie, which means there's a chance of James picking Ernst's criminal mind for advice on how to stop this new threat — a la Silence of the Lambs.

Credit: Sony Pictures/EON Productions

While the project doesn't have an official title yet, rumors have persisted that it may be called "Shatterhand," a known alias of Blofeld's. Over the years, the iconic character has been portrayed by a number of well-known actors, including Donald Pleasence, Max von Sydow, and Telly Savalas.

Aside from Craig and Waltz, Ralph Fiennes (M), Léa Seydoux (Madeleine Swann), Naomie Harris (Eve Moneypenny), Rory Kinnear (Bill Tanner), and Ben Whishaw (Q) are also returning from previous installments.

Aside from Malek, Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049), David Dencik (McMafia), Billy Magnussen (Aladdin), and Dali Benssalah (A Faithful Man) are also newcomers to the franchise.

Directed by Cary Fukunaga, Bond 25 opens in theaters everywhere April 8, 2020.

(via Variety)