James Bond actor Daniel Craig was sure he was done playing the role after starring in Spectre, but he eventually returned for No Time to Die. To date, six actors have portrayed Bond in the official Eon-produced movie franchise, with Craig being the latest, but certainly not the last. The James Bond franchise will likely never die for good, and will survive Craig's departure just as it survived the exits of Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan.
Craig will be a tough act to follow, but if history is any guide, the folks at Eon will probably make it work, even if the next Bond isn't a hit right out of the gate. What's amusing looking back is just how much fan consternation followed the casting of Craig in the 007 role, with many being put off by how his blonde hair and blue eyes didn't fit with the established Bond look. Needless to say, most of those doubters were silenced by the smash success of Casino Royale, Craig's Bond debut.
Since then, Craig has starred as Bond in Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre, and soon, No Time to Die. That's despite Craig making it pretty well-known after Spectre's release that he wanted to step away from the character, even at one point saying he'd rather "slash my wrists" than continue playing Bond. Obviously, that feeling changed. In the new Apple TV+ documentary Being James Bond, Craig discusses why he returned for another Bond mission.
In later interviews, Daniel Craig would clarify his prior comments, which had understandably drawn shocked reactions from fans. It turns out he said the "slash my wrists" bit literally the day after filming on Spectre ended, and he was at that point both physically and mentally spent. In Apple's Being James Bond doc, Craig further clarifies those circumstances, with the actor revealing he had to walk on what he calls a "bionic leg" in order to get through much of the shoot, after sustaining an on-set injury. Craig also left Spectre feeling that he — at age 47 — had become too old for the part, and its various demands.
According to Craig, producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli gave him some space to breathe and recuperate for a while afterward, before approaching him about returning for No Time to Die. They convinced Craig that there was one more story left for his version of James Bond to tell, with Broccoli being especially persistent on retaining his services post-Spectre. Hopefully, No Time to Die allows Craig's Bond to go out with the bang he deserves, after multiple Coronavirus-related delays, proving the actor made the right call to suit up one more time.
