Daniel Craig No Longer James Bond: Actor Turns Down Millions, As Fans Wonder Who Will Be The Next ‘007’
Daniel Craig’s James Bond days are over. Despite Sony Pictures offering him about $99 million to reprise the role, he’s repeating the actions of his predecessor. Pierce Brosnan. He’s quitting after four films.
It’s been a source of rumors for quite some time that Craig has been looking for a way out of his most infamous role since Cowboys and Aliens. He has been quoted as saying he’d rather slash his wrists than ever play the role again, even bashing the character for being misogynistic.
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After having finished his final role as James Bond, Daniel Craig seemed to have almost changed his mind.
“I’ve had massive amounts of fun making [Spectre], probably more fun on this film than I have on all of the others put together. And the simple answer at the moment is I don’t want to think about it. I want to think about other things. I want to go home.”
Craig apparently had fun with the film, but it’s now official that for the franchise to continue, Sony Pictures is going to have to find another actor to play 007.
Two of the biggest actors rumored to be taking over have been staples in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, both having their debut appearances in Thor. Tom Hiddleston and Idris Elba are the rumored front-runners to play the next James Bond. For some purists, Elba might not be the best choice, as Ian Fleming’s original character was a dark-haired white male. This didn’t stop Broadway from turning Harry Potter‘s Hermione Granger into a black woman, or Paul Feig from turning the Ghostbusters into women. This could be the next part of a growing trend in Hollywood.
Idris Elba certainly has the acting ability to pull off the role, but in the wake of Daniel Craig’s James Bond departure it appears Tom Hiddleston is also a top contender. Hiddleston is mostly known as the main villain in two Marvel films, and he even played the legendary country singer Hank Williams in I Saw the Light. His acting range is undeniable.
The actor behind Loki has stated that it’s just a rumor.
“I haven’t spoken to anyone who makes those films. It’s just an idea in people’s minds.”
Daniel Craig is reportedly ‘done’ with #JamesBond https://t.co/ccax4gKsuF pic.twitter.com/5eFJmjiYJh
— IMDb (@IMDb) May 19, 2016
Among the other potentials to refill Daniel Craig’s James Bond shoes are John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and Damian Lewis (Homeland). Boyega proved his ability in the J.J. Abrams continuation of the Star Wars franchise, playing a stormtrooper who chooses to leave the First Order and fight it instead. Damian Lewis might not have played a secret agent on the screen, but he lent his voice to Phineas and Ferb‘s Agent Double-00. In that way, he’s almost as much a secret agent as Mark Hamill is DC Comics’ Joker.
A possible fan favorite to become the next James Bond after Daniel Craig is Jason Statham. He’s been playing British action heroes for most of his career, only taking breaks for hit films like Crank and Furious 7. He’s been showing a steady decline in action roles lately though, having cut down on his fight scenes in films such as Spy and Wild Card.
Henry Cavill of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is another front-runner, though his involvement in DC’s film franchise might conflict with the decision.
Who do you think should follow Daniel Craig as James Bond?
[Image via Sean Gallup / Getty Images for Sony Pictures]
