The Mr Robot actor, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, will play a terrifying nemesis for Daniel’s Craig’s James Bond in his final outing as 007, No Time To Die.
Malek appears heavily scarred in footage from the film, sometimes wearing a white mask on his face.
Speaking in a featurette about his character, he said: “What I really wanted from Safin was to make him unsettling, thinking of himself as being heroic.
“Safin is a formidable adversary, James Bond has to adapt to that.”
Director Cary Joji Fukunaga added: “What he wants and what he’s willing to do makes him a very frightening character, both personally to Bond but also on a global level.”
Footage from the film shows Safin telling Bond: “We both eradicate people to make the world a better place, I just want to be a little tidier.”
He also tells Bond: “I’ve made you redundant,” to which the spy replies: “No, not as long as there are people like you in the world.”
The film finds Bond after he has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica.
However, his peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) from the CIA turns up asking for help.
No Time To Die is due to be released in UK cinemas on November 12, after it was pushed from its original release date in April because of the global pandemic.
