It’s been almost 20 years since Daniel Craig first starred as James Bond in 2006’s “Casino Royale,” and after two decades, the actor truly doesn’t care about where the franchise goes next.
Craig said during a Variety video titled “How Well Do They Know Each Other?” alongside “Queer” co-star Drew Starkey that he isn’t holding his breath to find out who becomes the new 007.
When asked by Variety, “If you were to pass the James Bond torch, who would you love to see play him?,” Craig laughed and said, “I don’t care.”
Also during the interview, Craig was asked how many Bond films he appeared in. “I’m going to get it wrong,” he said, while Starkey wrote “too many.”
“Exactly,” Craig quipped. “I’d have to count them. I don’t know.” He ultimately correctly said five.
Craig’s tenure as Bond began in 2006 with “Casino Royale.” He went on to star in “Quantum of Solace,” “Skyfall,” “Spectre,” and “No Time to Die,” which concluded his turn as 007 in 2021.
While no new Bond has been announced yet, there have been plenty of rumors. Producer Barbara Broccoli told The Guardian in 2023 that the team hasn’t “even begun” trying to “reinvent [the franchise] for the next chapter.”
Audiences do know, however, that the Bond character will remain a male in the franchise reboot.
“He was written as a male and I think he’ll probably stay as a male,” Broccoli said, adding, “and that’s fine. We don’t have to turn male characters into women. Let’s just create more female characters and make the story fit those female characters.”
There could be other nuances added to the literary character, though.
During the Venice Film Festival press conference for the “Queer” premiere, Bond alum Craig did not answer when asked if there could ever be a gay James Bond. Instead, “Queer” director Luca Guadagnino said, “Guys, let’s be adults in the room for a second. There is no way around the fact that nobody would ever know James Bond’s desires, period.”
“The important thing is that [James Bond] does his missions properly,” Guadagnino added.
Watch Craig and Starkey’s full interview with Variety below:
