At the very least, he remains a magnetic presence on screen who has a firm handle on how his James Bond differs from previous iterations of the character. Quantum of Solace and Spectre both have their issues, but that issue is never Craig. Obviously, not every Daniel Craig Bond movie is great. Rather than just a guy who gets everything he wants, Bond needed to be challenged and to invest in his relationships rather than smirk them away. The question of Bond's virility was not in question, and treating women like objects was never a good look, but certainly played as retrograde in the 21st century. The producers realized that for Bond to operate in the 21st century as a hero, it wasn't enough for him to have lots and lots of sex. James Bond,' and 'Shaken, not stirred.' The Bond we see in Craig's tenure has to balance being a cold-blooded assassin with not being a total sociopath.

It's not that previous Bond actors were 'bad' as much as Craig was provided with the room, script, and tone to build on the character rather than just saying 'Bond. In order to sell outsized blockbuster stakes (and as IP became more important than the actor on the marquee), you needed a serious actor who could deliver pathos as well as throwing a convincing punch. To be fair, this is also a product of how action movies had evolved and the necessity of the Bond franchise competing with other blockbusters that were moving to cast not just 'stars' but serious actors similar to how an acclaimed thespian like Christian Bale could now lead the Batman franchise. RELATED: 'Being James Bond': Apple TV Doc Reflects on Daniel Craig's Career as 007Ĭraig was the first Bond actor who had a license to be vulnerable.

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