I feel like Bond fans have been put through the ringer for the last two years for no good reason. It all started during the press tour for Spectre, when star Daniel Craig seemed to indicate that he had absolutely no desire to play the character ever again. Craig seemed pretty definitive, but after his fourth outing as Bond received a mixed reception from critics and fans, many seemed to want him to go out on a high note with a fifth and final chapter. Throw in the fact that Spectre still made $880 million worldwide, and it's easy to see why the Bond producers wanted Craig to return as well. But even in the face of all the cries for his return, Craig was still holding back on committing to a fifth installment. Talks began to emerge that Tom Hiddleston and Tom Hardy were being considered to play the character, all while the 25th Bond film remained in limbo. But as the wheels finally started turning on the project recently, it seemed clear to me that Craig would return- it was only a matter of confirmation. Well, we finally got just that last night. On Stephen Colbert's Late Show, Craig sat down to do an interview for Logan Lucky and confirmed what we've all been waiting to hear. Check out the announcement below and then continue on to read my thoughts.
Let's face it- this was always going to happen. Craig has been too influential as the character to go out on a flat note, and even though I was one of the few who loved Spectre, it didn't seem like the right finale for this version of the character. There's still more story to tell, and Craig's Bond journey has been more serialized than any prior rendition of the character. As Hugh Jackman and James Mangold's Logan proved earlier this year, there can be quite a few artistic and financial benefits to having a beloved actor get a proper finale for their most famous character. And that's not to say that Bond 25 has to kill off Craig's Bond (although it would be quite the game-changer if they did), but it is necessary to have a great send-off. Anyways, as a Bond fan, I couldn't be more excited. As thrilling as it would be to see a Tom Hardy and Chris Nolan Bond film, seeing Craig finish off his arc as the character takes precedence for me. Here's hoping that his final ride is the best one yet.
Bond 25 will premiere on November 8, 2019 in the US.
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