Daniel Craig is an even harder act to follow, as James Bond than Sean Connery was. Craig is the oldest actor to play James Bond, despite only starring in five 007 films. Craig’s first film was in 2006 Royal Casino and his last film as Bond was in 2021 There’s no time to die. Daniel Craig’s performance as James Bond grossed US$3,958,969,397 at the worldwide box office, with the 2012 film Fall from the sky ranked as the highest-grossing Bond film of all time with $1.1 billion worldwide. For each measure, Daniel Craig was an incredible success as James Bond.
One of the reasons why Daniel Craig was unique among his peers James Bond actors is that their 007 exists in a rebooted universe. All previous James Bond films before Casino Royale 1962 Dr. No starring Sean Connery in 2002 Die another day starring Pierce Brosnan – postulated that it was the same James Bond who had all these adventures. Royal Casino kicked off a new 007 canon, starting with how Craig’s younger James Bond gained his 007 status and license to kill. There’s no time to die then he did the previously unthinkable: he ended the story of James Bond causing Craig’s 007 to sacrifice his life to save the world.
Why Daniel Craig is a harder act to follow as James Bond than Sean Connery
Craig’s Rebooted Bond Brings Complications
Sean Connery was the original James Bond actor, and he was very popular in the 1960s, but Daniel Craig is an even harder actor to follow. Craig’s performance as Bond was acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, and Daniel redefined 007combining the elegance of the gentleman spy with a courage and modernity that perfectly suited the 21st century. Royal Casino is routinely hailed as one of the best James Bond films ever made, while Fall from the sky destroyed 007’s box office records. There’s no time to die was not released during the COVID-19 pandemic, it may have come closer Fall from the skybillion-dollar box office, or at least surpassed Spectrum’It’s disgusting.
Daniel Craig’s James Bond films |
Year of release |
Director |
World gross |
---|---|---|---|
Royal Casino |
2006 |
Martin Campbell |
US$606,000,064 |
Quantum of Solace |
2008 |
Marc Forster |
US$589,580,694 |
Fall from the sky |
2012 |
Sam Mendes |
US$1,108,561,013 |
Spectrum |
2015 |
Sam Mendes |
US$880,674,609 |
There’s no time to die |
2021 |
Cary Joji Fukunaga |
US$774,153,007 |
With Daniel Craig’s tenure concluded, EON Productions has yet to solve the riddle of how to follow Daniel’s James Bond. Should the 007 saga be rebooted again and create a third James Bond timeline starting with the origin of the new 007? Should the next Bond saga ignore Craig’s run and restart the original 007 timeline that ended with Pierce Brosnan Die another day? Perhaps Daniel Craig’s Bond could be resurrected, but with a new actor taking on the role? There are no easy answers that guarantee success, and this is a much more challenging situation than replacing Sean Connery in the 1960s.
James Bond tried to duplicate Sean Connery with George Lazenby
Connery had to return to the role of James Bond
Sean Connery began to tire of the role of James Bond as each film became bigger and more popular globally. Connery decided that 1967 You only live twice it would be his swan song as Bond. With Roger Moore unavailable because he was starring in a similar spy TV series, The Saint, The producers of 007 decided to hire Australian model George Lazenby as Connery’s replacement as Bond in 1969. In Her Majesty’s Secret Service. It was a direct attempt to duplicate Conneryincluding giving Lazenby a similar haircut.
Unfortunately, George Lazenby was unhappy with the role of James Bond, believing the character to be irrelevant as the calendar turned to the 1970s. Similarly, the public didn’t buy Lazenby as Sean Connery’s successor. Lazenby left the James Bond franchise and Connery returned for another role as 007, starring in 1971. Diamonds are forever. Although Connery would last play Bond in the non-canonical 1983 film Thunder remake Never say never againthe James Bond films found their true replacement in Roger Moore.
Roger Moore was a very different bond than Sean Connery
Moore’s 007 was a huge success
In a way, Roger Moore was as radical a reinvention of James Bond as Daniel Craig proved to be in 2006. Moore was decidedly different from Sean Connery. Roger brought a more gentlemanly charm to James Bond, compared to Connery’s rough edges, and Moore turned more towards comedy as his James Bond films became larger spectacles, relying on tricks and devices. In truth, Moore’s 007s had a lethal edge of their own, but Roger is forever remembered as a cheerful, even silly, James Bond.
Without considering, Roger Moore’s tenure as James Bond was a huge success. Before Craig eclipsed him, Moore was the longest-serving James Bond actor, since 1973 Live and let die for 1985 A Vision for a Killing. Moore also starred in 7 James Bond films, the most of any actor unless you count Sean Connery’s ‘unofficial’ Bond, Never say never again. Replacing Roger Moore was a relatively simple matter for the 007 producers: they simply went in the opposite direction and cast the dark and gritty Timothy Dalton as the next James Bond.
Would casting an actor opposite Daniel Craig as James Bond work?
Who should be the next James Bond?
The potential success (or failure) of James Bond starts with its cast, and this is the first big question that EON Productions has yet to resolve in terms of how to follow Daniel Craig. EON is looking for an actor who can match Craig’s rugged appearance and emotional vulnerability, or they reinvent Bond once again and go in a new direction? Should the next 007 be younger? Is a more comedic Bond, in the way that Roger Moore had a lighter touch than Sean Connery, the right way to take 007 forward? Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s name has often been mentioned as the next James Bond, as has Idris Elba. While it’s likely neither will be cast, these are two very different ideas for James Bond.
No Time To Die killing off Craig’s Bond was a bold creative move that cornered the 007 franchise.
The pressures of finding a new James Bond actor who can successfully continue 007 as a potential billion-dollar film franchise are immense. Succeeding Daniel Craig isn’t simply a matter of finding another actor who looks incredible in a tuxedo or who can order a martini with elegance. Craig took James Bond to a new stratosphere of success and universal acclaimand There’s no time to die killing off Craig’s Bond was a bold creative move that cornered the 007 franchise. Replacing Sean Connery as James Bond was relatively easy compared to finding the next 007 to follow Daniel Craig.