I think Craig is largely very popular in the role of Bond. That doesn’t mean he’s everybody’s idea of Best-Bond-Ever - actually, he doesn’t need to be; audiences today aren’t looking for a ‘best Bond’. What they want is an engaging and fun ride and for the most part they got it.
But is there - was there - a demand by the general audience for Craig to return? I have my doubts. On balance I would say most people like that he’s back. But they’d probably have been just as happy, maybe more so, if another guy had taken over. That may feel like water on the mills of the Craig-not-Bond idiots sitting in their basements. But the vast majority of people simply do not care so much who is or is not Bond.
Will there be pressure on BOND 25? Sure, absolutely, and in every regard from Craig’s performance to box office to critical reception.
BOND 25 will likely define how the franchise fares, what fate may befall MGM and Eon. There’s already a hint of things we may expect in the coverage of the Murdoch press, and since BOND 25 is likely to be Craig’s last there’s a little competition going as to who can claim to have contributed to him leaving. Tabloids love this kind of debased to**ing contest - and the freaks reading them even more so.
I think so, too. And it is quite surprising that the franchise is at this stage again, despite having the most successful film and another highly successful one in its recent past.
Are there parallels in Bond film history? After TB and YOLT (a huge success and a still enormously successful one) they dared to risk everything with a new actor and a new style (well, they had to because of Connery´s departure). After BOND 25 they probably have to risk everything again. But if BOND 26 tanks - well, they will hardly bring Craig back then, will they?
The 80’s would be the closest, but then at least MGM had other success stories around UA’s financial woes. Bond, as the only thing MGM have propping them up, can’t afford to fail…well…Bond can, MGM wouldn’t survive it though. There was an article a few months back about this, MGM have dug themselves into a hole where a film franchise they own a piece of has a stronger long term future than a whole studio.
Reaction to stories bout Hiddleston and Cillian Murphy were generally responded to the same as any new Bond - a mix of positive or negative - i dont think there was much “why are you getting rid of Craig” talk - i think people have been prepared for Craig to leave for a while so i think whatever backlash there is would be as a result of who they hire.
Think so too. If, say, Hiddleston were to tank with BOND 26, then there’d be a few people calling for Craig to return. But even that wouldn’t be a very serious suggestion. I remember some person lobbied for Brosnan’s return after every film until he gave up when SKYFALL was announced. But such is almost exclusively a pastime for the very nerdy fans. Most people don’t even take notice.
I wonder whether a big part of the Bond audience is attached to a particular Bond actor at all anymore.
Gone are the days of “either Connery or Moore”. Now people will either love or hate the current actor, watch the films anyway or consider them old hat. Only when a new actor takes over the attention is there, just out of curiosity.
The internet complains about everything. Craig was complained about incessantly prior to CR. People haven’t stopped whining about The Last Jedi. People hated Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Iron Man in 2008 and now he’s not only beloved in the role, but arguably the biggest movie star on the planet. In the case of Bond, MGW and BB clearly knew what they had with Craig and it worked. I’m mostly trusting them to get things right. They’ve had some missteps but that’s to be expected in a 57 year old franchise with 24 completed films and a 25th in production.
I agree, but we are 6 actors in now, it is historically normal to have different Bonds, most of the general public think “on to the next one " or " he’d be a great Bond” point is change is now in the Bond DNA , imagine the difficulty recasting Tony Stark
It would be about as difficult a task as the MCU is about to have in recasting Wolverine. Bond works with different actors, just as Batman works with different actors.
No matter what happens with BOND 25 (within reason), the franchise is going to be in a pretty healthy position when Craig walks away. Before CASINO ROYALE, there was a lot of disquiet about the direction of the series and concern that Bourne and others had rendered Bond redundant, so there was a lot of impetus behind finding fault with Craig. I don’t think that will be repeated next time around. Also, the casting has gone from strength to strength in the last 13 years with some renowned global stars attracted to the series - Fiennes, Bardem, Waltz, Malek, Whishaw, Harris. I can’t see them making a huge misstep with the main character. Some of us will approve, others will be less keen, and others will flat out disapprove - that much, at least, is already certain.
