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.