The James Bond franchise has been passed down across generations, and is showing no signs of slowing down. Quite a few actors have played 007 throughout the decades, with the most recent being Daniel Craig. Craig will end his tenure as the the stylish martini drinking MI6 agent with Cary Joji Fukunaga's No Time to Die, the 25th movie in the property. And the actor recently recounted his emotional last day on set at Bond.
No Time to Die mark Daniel Craig's fifth James Bond movie, and the role of 007 is largely synonymous with the 51 year-old actor. There's a ton of pressure to give his version of Bond a proper sendoff, especially as the the last few movies have embraced serialized storytelling. It was no doubt an intense experience to say goodbye to the character, and Craig recently spoke to his final day on set, saying:
The whole crew came round and gathered outside. Everybody was hugging each other. I tried to make a speech and couldn't get it out.
It sounds like it was an emotional goodbye to 007. Daniel Craig has been working on the James Bond franchise since 2006's Casino Royale, so it's been well over a decade of returning to the role. And as such, wrapping No Time to Die was an intense experience for the actor.
Daniel Craig's comments to Empire are in stark juxtaposition to the actor's feelings about the franchise following the release of Spectre. He was famously quoted for saying he'd rather slash his wrists than play James Bond again. Obviously he changed his mind, and had one more massive blockbuster left in him. They're just exhausting (and dangerous) movies to film and promote.
Ultimately Bond does mean a great deal to Daniel Craig, and he's worked very hard to bring his hulking, gritty version of 007 to life. It should be interesting to see how No Time to Die sends him off, and what surprising plot choices are in Cary Joji Fukunaga's highly anticipated blockbuster. There are plenty of narrative threads to pull from, informed by Craig's previous four movies as James Bond.
Related: Why Daniel Craig Decided To Return For One Last Bond Film In No Time To Die
Historically the James Bond movies have been anthology films. Each one tells a contained story, complete with a villain and a new Bond girl. This format allows different actors to step into the role seamlessly, although Daniel Craig's tenure as the character embraced serialized storytelling. Each movie changes Bond, with casualties haunting 007 and informing his decisions. And that'll certainly be the case with No Time to Die.
No Time to Die will see James coming out of retirement, and will feature plenty of returning actors. Léa Seydoux is back as Dr. Madeleine Swann, the Bond Girl from Spectre. Additionally, Jeffrey Wright is playing Felix Leiter for the third time, while Christoph Waltz will reprise his role as Ernst Stavro Blofeld. They'll also be joined by the regular MI6 crew, including Q, M, and Moneypenny.
No Time to Die will hit theaters on April 8th 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
