I’m shaken right now…not stirred. Well maybe a little stirred, but more so very shaken.
We kind of knew it was coming, but now it seems certain that the face we’ve all associated with James Bond the better part of the last decade is set to walk away from the role of Agent 007.
Daniel Craig reportedly turned down a MASSIVE deal that would have kept him on for a fifth Bond film, and perhaps longer, opting not to follow up his prior appearances as the British secret agent which began in 2006’s Casino Royale and continued through Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and most recently Spectre in 2015.
Comicbook.com with more on why Craig is choosing to walk away from the role:
Craig is already the highest paid actor to ever play Bond, netting £38 million (approximately $55 million) for his four films. MGM reportedly offered to nearly double that for Craig, laying £68 million (approximately $100 million) on the table if he would sign on for two more movies, but Craig was not interested.
“Daniel is done – pure and simple – he told top brass at MGM after Spectre,” a source told the Daily Mail. “They threw huge amounts of money at him, but it just wasn’t what he wanted. He had told people after shooting that this would be his final outing, but the film company still felt he could come around after Spectre if he was offered a money deal.”
ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS to play JAMES BOND in two more movies. And Daniel Craig said no. Incredible.
Another source added that MGM executives finally were willing to let Craig go after growing tired of his negative attitude towards the franchise.
Craig’s Bond films have helped the struggling MGM take in $2 billion at the box office, so it’s understandable that the studio want to keep him onboard, but a knee injury sustained while filming Spectre seems to have been the nail in the coffin for Craig’s tenure as the super spy.
“With knee problems and general exhaustion, he felt it was a journey with an ending,” the source said.
MGM already delayed the production of the next Bond movie to accommodate for Craig’s role in the TV adaptation of Jonathan Franzen’s novel Purity. If they Daily Mail reports are true, it looks like they’ll be starting from scratch with a new Bond once production gets underway.
Hey, could you blame the guy? After four films performing some of the most insane stunts ever captured on camera, it’s understandable to hear that Craig simply just doesn’t want to do it anymore. Especially if there’s lingering injuries. For all the money, you still can’t ultimately buy health, and obviously that was a concern for the man. Can’t knock it, because the last four Bond films have been great for the franchise, and who’s to say another young face wouldn’t do wonders, too.
[h/t Comicbook.com]