James Bond star, Daniel Craig, recently revealed if he has any regrets about leaving the long-running spy-action franchise. Following Pierce Brosnan's departure from the James Bond franchise in 2002 with Die Another Day, Craig was tapped to star in 2006's Casino Royale, a film that effectively acted as a narrative reboot for the MI6 agent. The actor continued in the role for four blockbuster sequels, concluding his run with 2021's No Time to Die, which saw Bond was off.
While speaking in an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Best of Today podcast (via Variety), Craig revealed if he had any regrets about leaving the James Bond franchise. When the actor was asked if he had any regrets, Craig said that he did not and shared he was "fortunate" to be a part of the franchise for 17 years. Read what Craig said below:
“No, none at all. I had an incredibly fortunate 17 years of my life making this. I literally want to spend the next 20 years of my life trying to unhook it all and try and put it into a place because it was incredible. I left it where I wanted it to be. And that I was given the chance to do that with the last movie.”
Who Will Replace Craig as James Bond?
First introduced in Ian Fleming's 1953 novel, Casino Royale, Bond took the world by storm when the character was brought to the big screen in 1962's Dr. No starring Sean Connery as 007. Over the next 60 years, the character was portrayed by six actors in 25 films creating a legacy firmly part of modern pop culture. With Bond sacrificing himself in No Time to Die's thrilling finale, the franchise was given a great opportunity to reinvent the character with a fresh new face.
Although audiences are clamoring for news of Craig's replacement, franchise producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have stated they will not begin the search for a new actor until 2023. Broccoli explained that they still need to figure out how to approach the next phase of the long-running film series. With a portion of the fanbase hoping to continue Bond's latest continuity in a spinoff film with either No Time to Die's new 007 agent Nomi (Lashana Lynch) or CIA agent Paloma (Ana de Armas), it appears the producers are focused on rebooting the franchise completely.
A reinvention of the James Bond franchise may require the hiring of a younger actor. Game of Thrones and Eternals star Richard Madden, as well as beloved Superman actor Henry Cavill, have been entertained by fans as choices for the new 007. Avengers: Endgame directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, have come out to support Bridgerton's Regé-Jean Page after casting him in their latest film, The Gray Man, citing his undeniable charisma. With the next phase in the franchise likely years away from production, fans can only speculate as to which star will become the next James Bond.
Source: Best of Today, Variety