Daniel Craig’s brutal response to James Bond question

Daniel Craig has made it abundantly clear he’s done with James Bond, issuing a painfully curt response to a burning question about the iconic spy franchise.

Daniel Craig has issued an awkwardly blunt, three-word response to a burning James Bond question.

The English actor, doing very little to quell ideas he’s painfully tired of his 007 era, sat down with Variety to promote his upcoming film Queer alongside co-star, US actor Drew Starkey.

Asked who he’d like to see take over the iconic secret agent franchise, in which Craig starred in five films between 2006 and 2021, the actor scoffed, refusing to be drawn into excitable debate about which actor would be suitable for the coveted role.

“I don’t care,” Craig said.

In the video interview, the pair were tasked with writing their answers to the reporter’s questions on a whiteboard. Taking to his whiteboard after the Bond question, Craig began writing an ‘answer’, before quipping, “I’m not writing, I’m doodling.”

Daniel Craig issued a blunt response to a burning James Bond question.

Further, the 56-year-old was asked how many films he fronted as the beloved British agent, a detail he didn’t know off the top of his head.

“Are you asking me that? I have to write the answer? I’m going to get it wrong,” Craig said.

Starkey then offered his own written answer, which read, “Too many.”

It prompted laughter from Craig, who added, “Too many. Exactly.”

Craig continued, “I don’t know. I’d have to count them … One, two, three … Five?”

His debut outing was in 2006’s Casino Royale, after Irish actor Pierce Brosnan bowed out following 2002’s Die Another Day.

Craig went on to reprise the role in Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and finally, No Time to Die (2021).

Craig played James Bond in five films. Picture: Nicola Dove 2021 / DANJAQ, LLC AND MGM

The Knives Out actor made it clear several years ago he was ready to exit the franchise, famously declaring he’d “rather break this glass and slash my wrists” than star in another film during an interview with TimeOut while promoting Spectre.

Alas, he was lured back to the franchise with a rumoured $US25 million pay cheque for the final instalment.

But it was a long goodbye for Craig. After wrapping shooting in late 2019, the film was pushed back for release several times, with distributors finally ready to debut it in April 2020.

That was, until Covid-19 thwarted those plans, with No Time To Die ultimately launching more than a year.

Once the world premiere finally came around in September 2021, it’s fair to say Craig was well and truly ready to move on.

Speaking to Australian media program Today while on the red carpet at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Craig failed to match the excitement of local reporter Brett McLeod, resulting in a cringe-worthy interview.

McLeod asked him whether he’d “do a Sean Connery” and reprise the role down the track, eliciting a very blunt response from Craig, “Nope, definitely not.”

The journalist finished up the increasingly uncomfortable exchange by asking Craig whether he had “any preference” on who should replace him as Bond.

“Not my problem,” he answered.

There’s still no news on which actor will land the part, though English actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been considered a frontrunner for some time.

Tom Hardy, Theo James, Paul Mescal and Idris Elba have also been flagged as potential candidates.

Originally published as Daniel Craig’s brutal response to James Bond question