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AfterDie Another Dayfailed to hit the set expectations, becoming one of the lowest-rated entries in the franchise,GoldenEyedirector Martin Campbell was brought back into the mix to reinvent 007. This resulted in Campbell bringing in Daniel Craig as the next 007, who’d cement himself as the best Bond since Sean Connery’s iconic run as the British Spy.
However, not everything regarding Craig’s casting was perfect from the get-go, as despite Campbell’s adoration for the actor’s brilliance, Craig’s look was a matter of concern for the makers.
Also read:“When the song finished he didn’t look up”: Daniel Craig Had a Bizarre Reaction to Billie Eilish’s James Bond Song After Hearing for the First Time
Daniel Craig’s Rugged Look Initially Held Him Back From Securing 007
UnlikePierce Brosnan, Sean Connery, and other 007 Stars, who were more good-looking in the traditional sense, Daniel Craig was tougher and ruggeder, which didn’t initially sit well with fans. Even though Martin Campbell would be eventually won over byThe TrenchStar’s charm, he recently admitted that Craig’s lack of a traditional Bond look was a matter of concern for him and the other makers. This factor would be reflected among fans at the time, who weren’t completely on board with Craig’s initial casting as 007, but things would drastically shift afterCasino Royalehit the screens. Campbell toldExpress.
“My only reticence with Daniel… he was really a superb actor, there’s no doubt about that… it was the fact that with people like Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Pierce Brosnan was that they were all traditional looking Bonds. All handsome guys, all sexy, all very attractive to women, and so forth. Daniel wasExpresstougher and ruggeder, but he wasn’t a traditional handsome guy. So I just thought about that for a minute and apart from that, absolutely it was always him.”
To say that Campbell’s decision to shift away from the formulaic approach of casting 007 actors worked out in the end would be an understatement.
Also read:“Not in my movies”: Daniel Craig Put His Foot Down to Change Major James Bond Tradition After Matt Damon’s Valid Criticism of $7.8B Franchise
Daniel Craig Reflects on Dealing With the Initial Backlash
WhileDaniel Craighad his hesitancies taking the iconic gig, when he eventually agreed to star in Martin Campbell’sCasino Royale, the initial reception from Bond purists was less than pleasing. But theKnives OutStar didn’t let the unwanted scrutiny get under his skin despite being bothered by it. Looking back at the initial hate with 5 successfulBondflicks under his belt, Craig explained toKevin Polowy,
“Of course, I was bothered by it. But there was nothing I could do. It’s like [the saying goes], ‘Control the things that you can control.’ All I could do was make a good movie, or attempt to make a good movie and say, ‘There you go.’ And if they didn’t like it, then I don’t know, that’s all I had to give.”
Also read:Daniel Craig Has Only One Condition to Accept Marvel’s Offer After His Canceled MCU Cameo in Doctor Strange
With the benefit of hindsight, it’s easy to see why Campbell was so fixated on bringing Craig in despite the lack of a traditional Bond look, who reinvented the iconic spy for the new generation.
Casino Royaleis available to rent on Apple TV.
Source:Express
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2539
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
