Daniel Craig is Still “First Choice” For Bond Producers
One of the reasons for the James Bond franchise’s continued success is its ability to easily modify itself to the current era. The early days featured Sean Connery as a very playful, do-it-all super spy, but that has since evolved all the way up Daniel Craig’s older, somewhat unsteady Bond that we have today. Craig’s version of the iconic shaken martini man is by far the most grounded that its ever been. The actor has appeared in four massive Bond movies, all of which went on to achieve both financial and critical success. However, just like the character itself, Craig also appears to be looking for greener pastures. But the franchise’s producers seem to think otherwise.
During the press circuit for last year’s Spectre, Craig expressed a few cold opinions concerning his potential return for future Bond installments. Those comments alone were enough to convince most that he wasn’t all that interested in putting on the stylish tuxedo once again, especially since there has recently been a large number of names thrown around that could take his place. Some of the most notable actors mentioned include Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation), Tom Hiddleston (Thor), and Jamie Bell (Fantastic Four). Besides those three, a few other top-notch actors like Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road) and Gillian Anderson (The Fall) have also crossed fans’ minds. It’s definitely a tough decision for the producers to make, particularly when you factor in the huge investments required for making a Bond movie. And that responsibility has been even more apparent as of late after a few reports detailed just how badly the producers wanted Craig to reprise the role.
First off, Craig was reportedly offered $98 million to star in two more films. Shortly after that, another offer was apparently made that totaled up to a whopping $150 million. No matter how you slice it, that is a chunk of change. But the main issue with having massive offers like those widely known to the public is that any actor who accepted it would clearly just be doing for the money. While Craig’s ginormous success as James Bond is no secret, his well-known disinterest in coming back for Bond 25 would only add to fans’ cynicism.
Despite that, the producers still want Craig to return. He has delivered time and time again as the iconic character, so their determination should come as no surprise. During an interview on the BBC Four’s Today Show (via Deadline), Callum McDougall, an executive producer on the last four Bond installments, said that Craig is “absolutely the first choice” for Bond 25. He went on to discuss how many others feel the exact same way about the star actor.
“I wish I knew [whether Craig plans to return]. We love Daniel. We would love Daniel to return as Bond. Without any question, he is absolutely Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli’s first choice. I know they’re hoping for him to come back.”
Because Craig has already starred in four Bond movies, it seems only fair to let someone else take on the character. But of course, fans’ opinions are usually never enough to convince the top brass to bend. While there are many potentially great choices out there, Idris Elba seems like the best choice. He’s not only a very capable actor, but he also has an unbelievable amount of natural charisma. If that ends up not coming to fruition, having Craig come back is not at all a bad thing. Let’s just wait and see.
Bond 25 is currently without a release date.