Daniel Craig Says No One Should Be Ruled Out From Playing James Bond

MGM/Columbia Pictures

Daniel Craig has said everybody should be considered to play James Bond as long as it’s the right person for the job.

Although Craig is currently in the process of donning his tuxedo and stepping into the shoes of 007 for a fifth time, he admits this will most likely be his last.

He isn’t shy about talking about who may succeed him, saying there is a larger issue at stake which means there are limited roles for women and African American actors in the industry.

Sony

The Bond actor spoke with Entertainment Tonight about why he’s thinking about moving on from the role, saying he believes people will get fed up with him otherwise.

He explained:

This is going to be my last Bond I think. I think I’ve done enough, people are going to get sick of the sight of me. Someone else should have a go.

Addressing rumours that the next Bond could be a woman or an African American actor, Craig went on to explain why he feels the character should not be restricted to white males only, saying whoever fills his shoes should just be ‘the right person for the job’.

The 51-year-old actor continued:

I think that’s what it should be. I think that everybody should be considered.

For women and for African Americans, there should be great parts anyway, across the board. It shouldn’t have to be Bond that takes… it doesn’t need to be Bond. It just needs to be written… some good parts.

Not everybody agrees with Craig though, with many notable people (including former Bond girl Eva Green) saying Bond should be kept as a man and should never be revamped as ‘Jane Bond’.

Green isn’t the only person who wants to keep Bond male, with many fans and actors arguing that Bond’s masculinity is an integral part of the character’s identity.

MGM/Columbia Pictures

As reported by Vanity Fair, Rachel Weisz last year made a slightly different point, stating that women are ‘fascinating and interesting’ and so deserve their own stories.

Weisz explained:

[Ian Fleming] devoted an awful lot of time to writing this particular character, who is particularly male and relates in a particular way to women.

Why not create your own story rather than jumping onto the shoulders and being compared to all those other male predecessors?

Women are really fascinating and interesting, and should get their own stories.

Regardless of what anyone thinks though, Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has previously expressed a firm stance that Bond should always be a man so it looks like we won’t be seeing much change on that front anytime soon.

As of yet, Bond has always been a white male. However, in recent years many have been calling for the role to be more representative and for producer’s to make room for a non-white Bond.

One name in particular kept cropping up time and time again, and that was none other than the hugely talented (and recently married) Idris Elba.

Sadly, Elba confirmed earlier this year that he was never going to play Bond, telling Entertainment Tonight it was a compliment but the role was not for him. So that dream’s shattered.

Hopefully this is a sign that things will be changing in the near future though and everyone will be considered for the role, as Craig says.

Until then, you can get excited about the fact that Bond 25 is set to hit cinemas on April 8, 2020.

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Lucy Connolly

A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).