After the recent return of Pierce Brosnan's vocal chops this summer in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, a time when the British actor was superspy James Bond may seem like it was a lifetime ago His last stint as the playboy agent was in 2002's Die Another Day after all, years before he was belting out ABBA classics. Daniel Craig took over the role with Casino Royale in 2006, two years before Brosnan confidently belted out "SOS" opposite Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia!. The two action stars made the role their own, but Brosnan does notice one stark difference between him and Craig's portrayal: the humor. Here's what he said:
There had to be humor, I felt. It is different now. They had strong competition and they haven't reinvented it but given it a much more muscular, dynamic twist.
That's right, before Daniel Craig took on the role of the martini-sipping spy, being James Bond was a lot more comical and over-the-top. Starting with Sean Connery as the original 007 in 1962's Dr. No, the series was an endearing mix of ridiculousness, intrigue and fun. As Pierce Brosnan expressed to Daily Mail, with his successor, the franchise lost the whimsy that it was founded upon. As the times changed, the studio must have felt the super spy should too, deciding on a more brawny and lethal look for the character. Craig, who has starred in four Bond films and will return in 2019 for Bond 25, has kept it light on the wise-cracks and stayed heavy on the brooding.
In the early 2000s, there came a rise in serious action stars that were less about cheesy one-liners. 2002's The Bourne Identity and first entries of Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible films entertained through the lead's ability to intelligently get out of the film's situation, making it due time for James Bond to be reinvented. Much of the far-fetched instances found in previous Bond faire still remains with Daniel Craig's Bond, but is made with believability in mind. Brosnan continued:
When I played him you have to let the audience in that this is a fantastic joke -- this man, jumping off a motorcycle and catching up a plane, is completely preposterous. But for me you had to let them in.
As Daniel Craig's time as Agent 007 is soon coming to an end, a new era of Bond is being discussed with more change to the character in mind. While among fans Idris Elba remains at the top of the list, the actor isn't in talks to take over the franchise. Recently, Pierce Brosnan did set his sights on Tom Hardy for his best pick, saying he thinks the actor could put a needed "little wiggle into it." While, there's no word yet on who will be the next Bond, Craig's last hoorah will be released in November 8, 2019.
