How come Felix Leiter appeared only once during Roger Moore's regime?

Was it simply because the character didn't appear in the original source material from Ian FlemingIt can't be that; Leiter did appear in the novel of The Man With the Golden Gun while the films of The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, Octopussy and A View To A Kill went so radically off book that Felix's presence was irrelevant for the adaptation. When Leiter did finally reappear it was in The Living Daylights which was based on a short story that didn't feature the character.

However I have no idea why he had such a long absence from the films, nothing I've read seem to mention it beyond acknowledging Leiter's 14 year hiatus. Perhaps the changing actors simply prevented Felix from feeling like an integral part of the series like other supporting characters and no one felt his inclusion was needed.

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Back to the Connery days, Jack Lord as Leiter asked for more money to return in a following film. There was also speculation the role was recast in GOLDFINGER to keep the role small, not to distract from Bond as the main character.

Not necessarily the case by the time of Moore, but I expect they liked the idea of Leiter (an important character in LIVE AN LET DIE) on board to help establish their new actor as Bond, part of the familiar series. To continue with Hedison as a continuing character, that gets more complicated for salary and location work (different from M, Q, and Moneypenny usually back at MI6 or filming at Pinewood studios). And fitting him in the latest script.

Leiter was clearly a Fleming creation, but since he featured in THUNDERBALL McClory may have been in the mix, putting some legal questions out there where it was easier to just avoid the whole thing.

What no man Can give ya. And none Can take away.

Cause.

David Hedison's Leiter should've appeared in Moonraker as Holly's supervisor and should have played the Chuck Lee role in A View To A Kill without his character getting killed of course. His Leiter made a good addition to the Moore era.

Hedison shoulda been Leiter through the Moore era and into the Dalton era. Or at the very least, play him in TLD. That way his cameo means something in TLD.

Or the ideal scenario, where Jack Lord remains Felix through LTK. Would have given LTK a much bigger emotional impact when he disagrees with something that eats him.

Felix Leiter did not make an appearance in the 90s. But I guess its sort of difficult for continuity reasons when your supposed to be missing a limb from a shark attack.

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Nobody said he did

What lose his leg below his knee as stated in the film?

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