For some, the latest James Bond movie, Spectre, was another triumph for the franchise. For others, it was a bit “meh”. However, for Daniel Craig, it appears to have been a harrowing experience.
Earlier this year, the British actor stated that he would rather do anything than reprise the role. Naturally, with Craig on the verge of handing in his gun and locking away the Aston Martin, the big wigs at the production company were forced to take evasive action and reportedly made an uncharacteristic play for Craig.
According to reports, Craig was unhappy at the amount of time it takes to shoot a Bond movie so, in a bid to keep him on board, the bosses apparently offered him a back-to-back deal which would have cut down the amount of time he was away from his family.
As yet it’s unclear whether or not Craig has acquiesced to any modified deals, but that hasn’t stopped the bookies from setting lines on the most likely man to replace him. Idris Elba and Damian Lewis are currently the hot tips among Bond fans and industry insiders, but it looks as though they’ll only get to don the famous tuxedo if Craig heads off into the sunset.
So why the love for Craig? With Casino Royale set to turn ten years old later this year, we thought we’d take a look at three reasons why he could be the best Bond ever.
Craig Made Bond Modern
This rugged edge was then expertly combined with the always cool casino motif. Images of slick gamblers in flashy suits wagering huge sums of money on games such as poker and blackjack has always captivated the imagination of audiences, so when Bond took on Le Chiffre in a high stakes poker game it became an instant hit.
To make the poker scenes as believable as possible, director Martin Campbell hired professional players such as Casper Berry to help make Craig’s moves authentic. This ability to capture the moment, give off an air of authenticity and still make James Bond an aspirational figure was a major reason for Casino Royale, moreover, Craig’s success as Bond.
In fact, the connection between Bond and the casino world has lived on ever since. When the film was released in 2006 the online gaming boom was at its peak and, spurred on by the popularity of Casino Royale, a host of operators decided to use Bond imagery to enhance their products. James Bond-themed slots such as Double 0 Cash and Spy Game sat alongside classics such as blackjack and roulette.
With everyone wanting to become the next James Bond and bring down the house, online casinos like Titan Casino Online are giving new players a chance to join the action without spending their own money. Today, the online gaming industry is still going strong and even though Craig’s Casino Royale is a decade old, his image is still be used to show off the “cool” aspects of the industry.
Craig Brought in the Big Bucks
Despite initial fears that people wouldn’t take to Craig in his role as Bond, the numbers don’t lie. After breaking box office records in its opening week, Casino Royale went on to gross $594 million in movie theatre revenue and a further $210 million in home movie sales.
As if that wasn’t enough, Quantum of Solace went on to take $591 million in box office sales. However, as impressive as those figures are, Skyfall managed to almost make more than those two combined with a staggering $1.1 billion in international box office sales.
To top it all off, Spectre banked an impressive $879 million back in 2015 to take Craig’s box office earnings as Bond beyond the $3 billion mark.
Craig’s Body Did the Talking
Craig was not only buffer than the average Bond, but his frame actually made his fight scenes a lot more believable. Although many male fans will deny that this changed their opinion of Bond, there’s no denying that he was one of the more athletic Bonds in recent years and that helped turn the tide.
Is Craig the best Bond ever? Quite possibly and even if he doesn’t reprise the role, we can certainly look back at some impressive performances as the world’s greatest spy.