Daniel Craig, who will star in October’s No Time To Die, took notice of the backlash to his casting as James Bond for a reason. Craig took over the role from Pierce Brosnan, who had starred in four of the franchise’s films before him. Craig’s first film, Casino Royale directed by Martin Campbell, debuted to critical acclaim, with many praising the franchise’s return to a more grounded and intense look at the iconic secret agent. First, though, many fans weren’t happy with Craig’s casting as James Bond for a few reasons.
From his blonde hair to his shorter stature, longtime fans of 007 took umbrage with Craig’s casting. All the actors that had come before Craig were typically brunette and a little bit taller – around 6′ compared to Craig’s 5’10” stature. Craig ended up proving his detractors wrong, going on to star in some of the most acclaimed Bond films of all time, including Skyfall and the aforementioned Casino Royale. Skyfall is also one of the highest grossing James Bond films of all time and it may be all because Craig listened to what the audience had to say about his casting.
In an interview with James Bond Radio (via Express), Casino Royale’s director revealed that Craig took note of the criticisms. He asked Craig if he listened to the detractors to which the actor responded, “Absolutely I do.” When Campbell asked why, Craig said that it was because he wanted to be aware of what the crew knows, as they had likely read the same things he had. Campbell also went on to praise Craig for “bulldoz[ing] through all that rubbish.” Check out his full thoughts below:
All the crew…they’ve heard it so I just want to make sure that I know what the crew knows.
Listening to the criticisms likely helped Craig craft his emotional and intense Bond, one whose past haunts him throughout the four films released so far. No Time To Die will complete Bond’s emotional arc that began in Casino Royale and that serialization has been a key factor in the success of Craig’s films. Typically, each Bond film works as a standalone adventure, but Craig’s tenure shifted away from that and created an overall arc for the character that was unlike anything the franchise had done before.
With No Time To Die facing multiple delays over the last year and a half, anticipation for the film has stayed steady, both because any Bond film is cause for celebration and because it will be Craig’s last go in the role. Some speculate that James Bond could die in the upcoming film, a fitting end for what has been one of the most successful runs of the franchise yet. Still, many are already looking to the future after No Time To Die, wondering who could take over the role and whether or not they’ll be able to live up to Craig’s performance.
Source: James Bond Radio (via Express)
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