Here's Why Daniel Craig Stopped Playing James Bond

During a recent interview with Sunday Times, the 54-year-old explained why he decided to stop playing Bond. The actor shared the conversation he had with the producer, Barbara Broccoli. At first, the actor thought he would only do just one Bond movie. However, the movie ended up becoming a big hit. Then, he asked the producer how many more movies they would do before hitting the break. They both agreed that he would do four more before killing the character off. 

True to that, Craig did his fifth and final role as James Bond in No Time to Die. The fifth film was delayed by 18 months due to COVID-19 but was released last year. The film ended with Bond dying after sacrificing himself for his family. Craig explained that the ending was what he wanted to show Bond had humanity. 

The killing of James Bond made a new opportunity for the franchise. Craig explained that by killing Bond, they could start again. There was reluctance to this so it was kept a secret. However, how the franchise would be refreshed is yet to be seen. The actor also addressed the controversy surrounding his casting in the film.

He explained he was not like the character Fleming wrote. This brought about the idea of starting again. The actor shared if he would have pushed his character if he did more. He continued that Bond could take any challenge and was a character that sticks. 

Since Craig announced he was going to stop playing Bond, there has been a lot of talk about the new James Bond. There have been a lot of people contending for the unique role. However, according to the producer Broccoli, it will take a while to announce a successor. She shared this in an interview with Deadline earlier this year. The producer stated that filming was about two years away. In an interview with Variety, she talked about the challenges involved in casting the part.

The producer shared it was a 10-20 year commitment. "Not everybody wants to do that." She shared. Another thing she said about the role was her focus on reinventing it for the modern age. She shared that Bond was evolving with the years just like men. 

There are about twenty-four people currently contending for the role of James Bond. They include Aaron Taylor-Johnson from Kick-Ass, Regé- Jean Page from Bridgerton, and Henry Golding from Crazy Rich Asians. Others also include Lashana Lynch, Jacob Elordi, Robert Aramayo, and Sam Heughan. The contenders still include Idris Elba, Jack Lowden, Paapa Essiedu, and Paul Mescal.

Omar Sy, Tom Hardy, Lucien Laviscount, Tom Holland, Richard Madden, and Daniel Kaluuya are also contending. Tom Hiddleston, James Norton, John Boyega, and Henry Cavill too. Also, Jamie Dornan, Cillian Murphy, and Luke Evans are part of the contenders.