Daniel Craig recently started filming his next – and final? – James Bond film, which is going by Bond 25 right now (it’s the 25th Bond film overall). The general plotline is “James comes out of retirement to help a friend,” and while I would love that friend to be Moneypenny, I think he’s helping out CIA agent Felix Leiter, played by Jeffrey Wright. They’ve been filming together in Jamaica. I guess Daniel decided to do some advanced press, because there are new quotes from him regarding who should replace him. Daniel Craig is all for James Bond being someone other than a white dude the next time around.
Daniel Craig has revealed that he WOULD welcome a woman taking over as James Bond. The current 007, now starting on the franchise’s 25th film in Jamaica, said the “right person” – regardless of gender – should play the spy. Craig, 51, also said that this latest Bond movie would be his last, even though producer Barbara Broccoli hopes he could return for another outing.
He said: “This is going to be my last Bond. I think I’ve done enough – people are going to get sick of the sight of me. Someone else should have a go.”
Asked about who could replace him in the iconic role, Daniel said the part should be broadened. He told The Mirror: ‘I think that everybody should be considered. Also for women and for African-Americans, there should be great parts anyway, across the board.’
[From The Sun & The Daily Mail]
I personally don’t even care at this point – the last Bond film, Spectre, was SO BAD and the franchise is really struggling from a storytelling perspective, I think. Not that people really looked to James Bond for the quality of the storytelling, but they’ve just been phoning it in since Casino Royale. I feel like Daniel Craig sort of knows this, and maybe I’m projecting, but he thinks that if the casting of Bond was really opened up, then maybe it would force the writers to actually develop the plot. I don’t know. All I know is that I would have loved to have seen Archie Panjabi or Idris Elba play 007 but it will never happen.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Nah not Casino Royale. Skyfall was the last really great one.
I loved Skyfall. It was so good!
They got EVERYTHING so right in the Bond movies staring Craig…until “Spectre”…
Sigh….
I’d love either of them, or both. They’d be great. Wasn’t there a Bond film called Never Say Never Again?
I’ve never been able to get into the Bond movies, but I love the idea of a woman in the role.
Viola Davis would be kick ass.
I’m probably in the minority but Daniel Craig hasn’t really done much to make my biscuit tingle during his tenure as James Bond. I think all four (?) of his Bond movies have been pretty mediocre. The only moment that really stands out to me is that one scene in Skyfall with the heavy homoerotic subtext between Craig and Javier Bardem. I think the idea of a sexually fluid James Bond is pretty hot–and kind of makes sense from a storytelling perspective…
I loved Skyfall and Casino Royale. But Spectre sucked and so did Quantum of Solace.
I saw a standup routine with Trevor Noah and I feel he made an excellent point about why James Bond shouldn’t be a black man in regards to the fact he would be a target in Scotland. Trevor is far funnier about it than I could ever be.
I still think Idris Elba has a chance if he wants it but I don’t think he wants it. I feel Jason Statham deserves a chance too. The only actress I can think of that would maybe be an okay Bond would be Vanessa Kirby. But I kind of feel the Bond films don’t work anymore. Maybe it’s time to hang it up.
Marion Cotillard????
Do you know what the UK would find most offensive when it comes to finding a new James Bond?
Forget gender and race but you give that part to someone who is French no matter how perfect their English is and I see the UK media having a nervous breakdown. I say that as someone born in Quebec.
I am surprised he didn’t mention his fellow black British actors. How about his wife ?
Yeah I thought it was kinda weird to say African-American, when I’d think if they were going for an African-heritage actor they’d likely be British?? (Idris, Daniel Kaluya, Chiwetel etc)
Though I also get he just meant anyone of any race/gender should be an option.
Casino Royale and Skyfall were the only two good ones in recent years, IMO. Quantum of Solace was so-so. Spectre was a mess. Daniel Craig was excellent in the role, but they just could not give him the right material to work with. Don’t blame him for pulling in DAT CASH, though.
On a side note, I find him so uncomfortably hot. Like, looking straight on, this sad monkey faced man is not something that I feel should attract me, and yet…he does.
Bring on Gillian and everything will be fine.
I personally don’t understand this desire some people feel to have a female Bond. My problem isn’t with her being female, it’s with her being Bond. Why not make a new character, with a new and more interesting backstory?
Daniel Craig was a decent Bond, but I’m not a huge fan of the movies. Not even Skyfall. I feel like they all feel a little… Bourne’y. I miss the vintage Bond films. Well, maybe I shouldn’t say “miss” since I wasn’t born when they came out and I just watched them a few years ago. But it’s so funny, watching them and noticing they resemble Austin Powers more than they do the current films. I miss that campiness the series had. They’d need a “social update” obviously since the sexism and racism in those was very… eh… evident. But I wish we went back to Bond being less serious.
No, I don’t want a female Bond but I’d welcome a completely new female spy franchise.
They could cast Maisie Williams and call her first installment “Not Today”, lol. But seriously, casting a woman would mean having to create a completely new character from scratch. I like what Craig says, though, and I believe he truly feels that way.
The only one I really liked was Casino Royale, and I sort of liked Quantum of Solace. I didn’t like the one with Javier Bardem and thought if was boring!
Instead of female Bond, can’t we just start a brand new female spy/action franchise??
Or a Mission Impossible Spin-off starring Rebecca Ferguson as her character!
i agree, leave Bond movies as males, why mess with a winning formula. A new female spy/action franchise would be great. Not a real fan of Jolie, but she really knows how to play a bad arse. I vote Rufus Sewell as the new Bond.