Next April, Daniel Craig returns for his fifth and final James Bond movie. The Spectre sequel will complete a character arc that began way back with 2006’s Casino Royale. But now Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has revealed why Craig was “reluctant” to be cast as 007 in the first place.
Speaking with Empire, Broccoli said: “He was reluctant to do the role originally because he knew it was going to change his life.
“The fact is, when you take on this role, you’re Bond for life.”
Certainly, Craig gets spotted all over the world now – often seen wearing a hat and sunglasses to keep his privacy.
On No Time To Die, Broccoli said: “He’s risen to the occasion. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
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Craig beat a number of stars to replace Pierce Brosnan as Daniel Craig, including Henry Cavill and Sam Heughan.
The two weren’t household names at the time and in their early twenties as Bond producers and Casino Royale director Martin Campbell were considering a younger 007 for the origin story.
But in the end, they went with Craig who was 38-years-old when the movie was released.
Last month Superman and The Witcher star Cavill revealed he was fat-shamed at his Casino Royale audition.
The actor added: “I didn’t know how to train or diet and I’m glad Martin said something because I respond well to truth. It helps me get better.”
Nevertheless, Cavill and Heughan have a better chance for Bond 26 according to a Bond expert.
Speaking exclusively with Express.co.uk, author of Catching Bullets – Memoirs of a Bond Fan, Mark O’Connell, pointed out that historically 007 actors were runners up at the auditions before eventually bagging the role.
Mark said: “Roger Moore was considered for Sean Connery’s Dr No, Timothy Dalton was looked at when he was just 21 in the era of George Lazenby’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and later Diamonds are Forever.”
He continued: “They looked at everyone for Diamonds are Forever, as they were slightly panicking [after George Lazenby turned down more Bond films after just one outing].”
In the end, Connery was persuaded to return for one more outing before Roger Moore’s debut in Live and Let Die. While fans may remember Pierce Brosnan bagged the role for 1987’s The Living Daylights but was tied to a contract, so Timothy Dalton took over then – until the Goldeneye star had his moment in 1995.
Mark added: “But yes it does bode well if you’ve been the runner up once, it does help.”
No Time To Die is released in UK cinemas on April 2, 2020.