Day: August 16, 2017

Daniel Craig Confirms Return to James Bond Role

The actor told ‘Late Show’ host Stephen Colbert that he will be returning for his fifth film as the famous spy in ‘Bond 25.’

James Bond fans were shaken and stirred Tuesday night.

Daniel Craig officially confirmed he will return to the role of Agent 007 in the upcoming Bond 25 on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday. Craig had previously been attached to the project by reports from the New York Times and others, but never confirmed personally — until his appearance on Colbert’s show.

“Yes,” Craig told Colbert point-blank, when asked if he will return as the secret agent. “I always wanted to, I wanted a break,” he said of returning to the character.

He also confirmed that it would be the last time he would tackle the iconic role, saying, “I just want to go out on a high note, and I can’t wait.”

Craig earlier Tuesday morning told a Boston radio program, “I’d hate to burst the bubble, but no decision has been made at the moment. There’s a lot of noise out there and nothing official has been confirmed and I’m not, like, holding out for more money or doing anything like that. It’s just all very personal decisions to be made at the moment,” Craig said on Morning Magic 106.7. “I know they’re desperate to get going and I would in theory love to do it, but there is no decision just yet.”

Craig has been playing Agent 007 since 2006’s Casino Royale, and has since starred in three other Bond films: 2008’s Quantum of Solace, 2012’s Skyfall and 2015’s Spectre. Craig made headlines following the release of the latter for making negative comments about the possibility of continuing the role. “I’d rather break this glass and slash my wrists,” the star told Time Out London in 2015 of a possible return to the role.

Recently, Craig has seemed to have softened his outlook toward reprising the role, however. The franchise has flourished with Craig in the lead, with Spectre earning $880 million worldwide and 2012’s Skyfall earning more than $1.1 billion.

The as-of-yet untitled Bond 25 was officially announced by EON Productions and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer last month with a slated Nov. 8, 2019 release date.

Wait, Daniel Craig Still Hasn’t Made A Decision About James Bond?

Every time we think we know the current status of the James Bond franchise, a new story upends that notion. That goes double for 007 himself. Daniel Craig’s willingness to return to the series has consistently fluctuated since 2015, ranging from total disdain for the character to a full-blown desire to return. While many of us had previously assumed that he would return for two more movies, the actor addressed this while promoting the upcoming release of Logan Lucky and admitted that he’s not as attached to the next two Bond films as we previously thought, explaining:

“No decision has been made at the moment, there’s a lot of noise out there and nothing official has been confirmed. And I’m not, like, holding out for more money or doing anything like that. It’s just all very personal decisions to be made at the moment. I know they’re desperate to get going and I would in theory love to do it, but it’s just there is no decision just yet.”

Daniel Craig seems to have softened his tone towards the overall Bond franchise in recent months, as he had previously said that he would rather slash his wrists than come back for another film. That said, despite his apparent interest in returning, he also recognizes the daunting task ahead of him if he decides to do so. His decision could go either way from here, but it’s a decision that he has yet to make.

If he doesn’t return, it’s hard to deny that there are definite advantages to walking away from the Bond franchise. Daniel Craig has more than proven himself in the role, and he has easily carved out a legacy as one of the best and most innovative incarnations of the character. Beyond that, moving on will afford him the opportunity to play an entirely different assortment of roles, such as his upcoming turn as Joe Bang in Logan Lucky, which showcases a far weirder and more jovial side of his acting persona.

On the other hand, many fans of Daniel Craig’s hard-drinking super spy would likely worry about his recent remarks on the Morning Magic radio show, as they feel he deserves to go out on a high note. Although Spectre certainly has its share of fans, the fourth Craig-fronted Bond film has become widely regarded as a weaker entry in the greater Bond canon, and those fans could argue that he needs at least one more solid outing. With talented filmmakers like Blade Runner 2049’s Denis Villeneuve, Hell or High Water’s David Mackenzie and ’71’s Yann Demange all reportedly standing as the frontrunners to helm the next entry in series, it’s entirely possible that Craig could get that high note if he sticks around.

At this point, only time will tell if Daniel Craig will ever don the James Bond tuxedo again for another adventure as everyone’s favorite secret agent. Until then, make sure to catch him as the similarly-initialed Joe Bang in Steven Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky, which opens in theaters this weekend on August 18.