Daniel Craig was much happier making Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery than Spectre. From 2006's Casino Royale to 2021's No Time to Die, Craig's portrayal of the MI6 secret agent was quite grueling for the English actor. This was especially true of 2015's Spectre, as Craig sprained his knee while shooting a fight scene with Dave Bautista, who played a henchman for the titular terrorist syndicate. Now, Craig is reprising his role as Benoit Blanc in a Knives Out sequel as his master detective investigates a new mystery involving an influencer played by Bautista.
During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bautista talked about how much happier Craig was making Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery than Spectre. The former WWE star says that Craig was put through the wringer on Bond, though the opposite was true of Knives Out, as the actor was always relaxed, smiling, and happy on set and interacting with the entire cast. Read what Bautista shared below:
He was really put through it on Bond. You could feel that he was under a lot of pressure. He didn't seem like the happiest person on Bond, but on Glass Onion, it was the complete opposite. He was just so much fun, and he was always smiling and happy and interacted a lot more. On Spectre, there wasn't a whole lot of interaction with the whole cast. But Glass Onion was the complete opposite. We were always together. So I got to know him better as a person and actually see him do his thing.
Daniel Craig's Post-James Bond & Knives Out Future Explained
No Time to Die marked Craig's final portrayal of Bond as his version of the character was unprecedentedly killed off during the film's final moments. The long-running spy franchise is expected to reboot its continuity and cast a new actor as Bond, as it has many times before, as producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are currently searching for Craig's replacement. The esteemed English actor is undoubtedly thankful for the opportunities awarded to him by the Bond franchise, though happy to leave the role behind him considering the grueling effect it had on his body, suffering numerous injuries over the years performing the requisite stunts.
For his first film since No Time to Die, Craig decided to reprise his role as Benoit Blanc from 2019's Knives Out, a much more easy-going and less physical role for the actor. In addition, the part of Benoit Blanc allows Craig to have more fun and be eccentric, compared to his relentlessly serious and brooding Bond. In March 2021, Netflix won the right to two Knives Out sequels for $469 million after a fierce bidding war. As part of this deal, Craig and writer/director Rian Johnson are obligated to return for one more sequel for Netflix after Glass Onion.
Though Craig considered quitting after Spectre, he has put Bond squarely behind him, and Benoit Blanc could be the next role he embodies for several years. While one sequel is definite, Johnson has said that he and Craig will continue making Knives Out sequels as long as they enjoy it. With Craig happy as a clam on set, there's a good chance he will stick around for more murder mysteries as long as Johnson keeps dreaming them up. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is scheduled for a limited one-week theatrical release on November 23, 2022, before streaming release December 23 on Netflix.
Source: EW
