Daniel Craig remains the top choice for producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson to play the role of Agent 007 in another "James Bond" movie. This is despite the fact that the actor is currently in a "resigned" status in the movie franchise.
Craig is reportedly no longer under contract to star as James Bond again after playing four films for the franchise. The long history of "James Bond" started with Sean Connery followed by several others, but Craig was considered the best among the batch. However, Craig has been passionately expressing his intention to avoid the "James Bond" path in the next years of his acting career.
While promoting his last "James Bond" film, "Spectre" in 2015, he was asked if he would play the role one more time. He told Time Out magazine, "Now? I'd rather break this glass and slash my wrists. No, not at the moment. Not at all. That's fine. I'm over it at the moment. We're done. All I want to do is move on."
Whether he comes back to take the role or not is still up in the air, but executive producer Callum McDougall confirmed that Craig remains the "first choice" for movie producers Broccoli and Wilson.
"I wish I knew," McDougall said. "We love Daniel. We would love Daniel to return as Bond. Without any question he is absolutely Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli's first choice. I know they're hoping for him to come back," he said. The execcutive producer even strongly expressed that the role was certainly Craig's if he decided to return.
EON says it has seen a proven commodity in Craig. The actor starred in the highest grossing Bond film of all time, which is 2012's "Skyfall." The 007 fans also apparently felt comfortable with Craig as Bond, which is proven with the sales the past four Bond movies have made. It has also expressed its belief that luring the audiences out with something shiny and new might run the risk of alienating them with someone who doesn't embody Bond. However, backup actors were listed, where Tom Hiddleston and Damien Lewis have come up in the past as possible substitutes and play as the new James Bond.
Another pressing question right now is where the next Bond films will land. The franchise made its home at Sony, but now the rights are up and is now open for other studios to take.
