During the world premiere of No Time To Die, Daniel Craig says deciding who the next James Bond will be is not his problem. Craig has portrayed the suave MI6 agent in five different Bond films, starting with Casino Royale in 2006. While Craig’s Bond still sticks to the usual tropes, such as looking good in a suit, he’s also brought a level of seriousness to the character that has been missing from previous portrayals.
Sean Connery was the first actor to portray James Bond, which started with 1962’s film, Dr. No. Connery would go on to play the character five more times in the franchise, until relinquishing the title to Roger Moore in 1973’s Live and Let Die. Moore would portray the character the most out of any other actor, starring in seven total Bond movies, which ended with 1985’s A View to a Kill. Timothy Dalton would pick up the role in two Bond films until Pierce Brosnan took over in 1995’s GoldenEye. In the entire 25 James Bond film catalogue, six different actors have played 007, leaving audiences to wonder who will pick up the mantle next.
Independent reports that while speaking on the red carpet at the world premiere of No Time To Die, Craig was asked if he’s going to miss playing James Bond. To which, Craig responded, “Maybe. We’ll see. I’ll think about it tomorrow.” Craig also offered a very blunt response when asked if he’d reprise the role in the future, saying, “Nope, definitely not.” Then, the interviewer asked Craig if he had any preference as to who could replace him as Bond, which drew another point-blank answer from Craig, who responded, “Not my problem.”
In reference to the next Bond choice, Craig also recently shot down the idea of Hugh Jackman taking over, jokingly saying, “He's not going to be it. Over my dead body.” With the position of the MI6 agent currently open, many actors have thrown their hat into the ring, with even Oscar winner Taika Waititi jokingly campaigning for the role. Fellow No Time To Die star, Ben Whishaw, has also offered his take on the next Bond, saying he’d love to see an openly gay actor play the character. Unfortunately, producers for the franchise, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, have said that the search for a new Bond won’t start until 2022.
With No Time To Die serving as Craig’s final portrayal of 007, speculation as to who will take on the character next will continue until an official announcement is made. In the meantime, fans of the franchise can look forward to seeing Craig’s last performance when the film debuts in October. While Craig may not care who takes over his role, he can be proud of the positive mark he’s left on the entire franchise.
Source: Independent
