Is he or isn’t he? That’s what James Bond fans are asking after the recent announcement of Spectre, the 24th entry in the blockbuster spy-movie franchise. More specifically, will cast member Christoph Waltz be playing Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Bond’s chief antagonist who hasn’t been seen in more than 30 years?

Blofeld, after all, is head of the titular criminal organization Spectre(Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion), which set out to sabotage, pilfer from and ransom governments in all but one of the movies from series-launcher Dr. No (1962) through Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

Distributor Sony Pictures would confirm to the Star only that Waltz is playing a character named Franz Oberhauser, and Waltz ambiguously commented to film website Collider that he is not playing the head of Spectre. But media blog Gawker got a hold of the script in the spate of recent cyber leaks at Sony, and while corroborating the existence of Oberhauser, it reports the character is referred to as Blofeld in production executives’ notes that were also obtained.

Spectre and its leader disappeared due to a legal dispute that stretched more than 50 years. Their return to the series was made possible last year when the series producers reacquired the rights to them from the estate of filmmaker Kevin McClory. Blofeld and his group were devised for a late-1950s Thunderball script co-written by McClory, Jack Whittingham and Bond creator Ian Fleming that marked an unsuccessful early attempt to adapt the literary Bond for the big screen.

In 1961 Fleming sold the movie rights to that screenplay and his books to Sherbrooke, Que.’s Harry Saltzman, who formed Eon Productions with Albert “Cubby” Broccoli to make the films. Fleming also wrote a novelization of the script without crediting his collaborators, who in turn sued him over copyright. McClory won the cinematic rights to Thunderball and its elements, which he licensed to Eon for a decade, and which in 1965 became the fourth Bond film.

SPECTRE’s behind-the-scenes leader made his movie debut in From Russia with Love (1963) as the Angora-cat stroking “Number One,” who has a penchant for offing underachieving subordinates. In that movie and Thunderball, he is seen only from the back or through shades, revealing a hint of black hair and a voice of undetermined European origin. It wasn’t until You Only Live Twice (1967) that Bond confronted him face-to-face and he was introduced as Blofeld.

Things got personal in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), in which Blofeld kills the secret agent’s wife Tracy (Diana Rigg) on their wedding day. Despite the expiration of its licence for Blofeld and SPECTRE, Eon intended to include them in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), but McClory blocked it. But Bond did get to extract revenge on his nemesis in For Your Eyes Only (1981), dropping him via helicopter down a chimney stack. Blofeld’s face wasn’t shown and his name wasn’t used, however, because of the rights issue.

The character appeared once more in an alternate world. McClory executive-produced a remake of Thunderball outside of Eon’s series, even convincing original Bond Sean Connery to return to the role in Never Say Never Again (1983).

That seemed to be a wrap for the Nehru-suited megalomaniac, but fans hope to see him spar with Daniel Craig’s Bond in Spectre, due in theatres Nov. 6.

Here is a rundown of the big-screen Blofelds:

You Only Live Twice

Donald Pleasence

The Brit’s characterization has made the most lasting impression. His Blofeld is a diminutive, bald, scarred Prussian psychopath who space-jacks U.S. and Soviet rockets in a bid to stir up war between the superpowers in return for payment from an unnamed Asian government. He keeps nasty pet piranhas and lives inside a Japanese volcano. Ripe for parody. (See Mike Myers.)

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Telly Savalas

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“Who loves ya, Bond?” The Greek American and future Kojak star was not only also bald, but seemingly rugged enough for wintry outdoor clashes with one-off Agent 007 George Lazenby. Here Blofeld, who has set up shop atop a Swiss mountain, threatens to sterilize the global food supply unless SPECTRE is pardoned for past crimes and his claim to nobility is recognized.

Diamonds Are Forever

Charles Gray

Curiously, silver-haired Brit Gray had played Bond’s British contact in Japan in You Only Live Twice. As Blofeld, Gray—also known as the Criminologist in The Rocky Horror Picture Show—

reaches a new level of camp, creating lookalikes for his protection and even dressing in drag, all while plotting to hold the world hostage with a diamond-based laser satellite that destroys nuclear weapons.

Never Say Never Again

Max von Sydow

SPECTRE is again stealing nuclear warheads for ransom, but at least one would have expected the great Swedish actor to bring some gravitas. But von Sydow turns out to be the least menacing Blofeld, goatee aside. Perhaps he had too much of a soft spot for felines, or maybe he was just happy to collect a cheque for such an easy day’s work.

The Austin Powers series

Mike Myers

This isn’t 007, but Dr. Evil, opponent of sartorially challenged super-spy Austin Powers in three movies, is a spot-on send-up of Pleasance’s portrayal. After thawing from a 30-year cryogenic freeze, Evil plots to steal a nuclear warhead from breakaway Russian republic “Purplakhistan” for a whopping $1 million ransom. Scarborough’s Myers plays the goodie and the baddy. YEAH, baby!

Spectre

Christoph Waltz?

If Waltz is playing Blofeld, will he make the grade? Listed alternately at 5 foot 6 or 5 foot 7, he’s a far cry from Fleming’s description in Thunderball: “...nothing about Blofeld was small. [His] body weighed about 20 stone [280 pounds].” But the Austrian-German actor doesn’t have two Oscars on his mantle for nothing. As an SS officer in Inglourious Basterds, he conveyed major malevolence. Bring it on, we say.

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