Daniel Craig is playing James Bond in at least one more film, the actor revealed on Tuesday during an appearance on “The Late Show.” Stephen Colbert asked the star whether he would reprise his role as the secret agent, and Craig answered in the affirmative as the audience cheered. The actor then stood up to shake the late-night host’s hand.
Craig, 49, said he accepted the gig a couple of months ago, explaining, “We’ve been discussing it, we’ve just been trying to figure things out. I always wanted to, I needed a break.”
It will be Craig’s fifth Bond film and the 25th one in the franchise. He made his 007 debut in 2006’s “Casino Royale.”
The comeback news is a big reversal for Craig, who in 2015 told Time Out magazine he no longer wanted to play the character. He called the attention paid to Bond’s physical appearance “a drag” and said he couldn’t imagine making another 007 film. He made headlines for saying, “Now? I’d rather … slash my wrists. No, not at the moment. Not at all. That’s fine. I’m over it at the moment. We’re done. All I want to do is move on.”
It’s unclear what changed his mind over the last two years. He explained to Colbert: “There’s no point in making excuses about it. It was two days after I finished shooting the last movie. Instead of saying something with style and grace, I gave a really stupid answer.”
Well, if he’s worried about his physical appearance, Craig has some time to bulk up. The next Bond film isn’t scheduled to hit theaters until November 2019.
Craig took over the Bond franchise from Pierce Brosnan, who starred in four 007 films from 1995 to 2002. Brosnan was 49 years old when he appeared in his final Bond film, “Die Another Day.”
Sean Connery, who appeared in five Bond films, was 53 when he hung up his tuxedo. Roger Moore played Bond in seven films and was well into his 50s when he passed the torch to Timothy Dalton, who was 41 when he appeared in the first of two Bond films.
David Niven starred in the 1967 comedy bond film “Casino Royale” at the age of 57. George Lazenby was the youngest actor to portray Bond on the big screen—he was just 29 years old in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.”
