Theories have been circulating for years about who will replace actor Daniel Craig as the next James Bond, and the people responsible for making that choice have revealed that they may soon finally start thinking about it – but not just yet. In an interview with Today on BBC Radio 4 reported by Deadline, producer Barbara Broccoli confirmed that the search has not started yet for Craig’s replacement.
“Oh God no. We’re not thinking about it at all.
We want Daniel to have his time of celebration. Next year we’ll start thinking about the future,” Broccoli said when asked about the next Bond. Broccoli also shared how Craig was resistant to taking on the role initially: “He knew it would change his life, which it obviously has.
He enabled us to explore the emotional life of Bond, to go deeply into the personal complexity of the character.” Producer Michael G. Wilson confirmed that Craig leaves “big shoes to fill.” He also praised Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s role as a writer for the project: “She gave us an interesting point-of-view for several of the characters. It’s unfair to think of her as a female writer… she contributed to the whole plot of the film.”
Bond was first introduced in Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel Casino Royale. Sean Connery played the secret agent, often known simply as 007, in the 1962 film Dr. No and five subsequent films, with George Lazenby taking over for one film in the middle of Connery’s run. Subsequent Bonds included Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan. Craig’s first outing as Bond was in Casino Royale in 2006. He reprised the role in 2008’s Quantum of Solace, 2012’s Skyfall, and 2015’s Spectre.
No Time to Die, the 25th Bond film, will be Craig’s last time playing the character. The film, which is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, has been delayed multiple times due to the pandemic.
It makes its world premiere tomorrow, September 28th, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, before opening this Friday in the UK and on October 8th in the United States. Possible names circulated as the next Bond include Tom Hardy and Idris Elba.