Well, it has been a hell of a run for Daniel Craig, playing arguably pop culture’s most famous super spy, James Bond. Craig’s version of 007 will take the screen for the last time in No Time To Die, hitting theaters this Friday (10/8/21). He’s moving on to greener pastures, and the future of the massive 007 franchise remains uncertain. There’s no clue who is going to be the next in line to play Bond, but there’s no doubt that Craig has left his own signature stamp on the role that has made it different and memorable. Cary Joji Fukunaga is at the helm for No Time To Die, and if you saw the first season of True Detective, you can’t help but be excited about his stylistic approach to Bond. Factor in that they’ve got a star-studded cast that includes Rami Malek, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, and Ana de Armas, among others, and you can see how Craig is set up to go out with a bang.
Our resident film critic, Brandon Vick, and I recently got together to provide a retrospective of sorts on Craig as Bond on the latest episode of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. It got me thinking – Bond is such an iconic role that you’d think it almost certainly commands a hefty salary with it. But, Craig was hardly an A-List celebrity at the time he was initially cast as Bond. So, what gives here? How much has Craig actually made playing James Bond? I consulted Celebrity Net Worth to dig this one up.
- Casino Royale: $3.2M (2006)
- Quantum of Solace: $7.2M (2008)
- Skyfall: $20M (2012)
- Spectre: $30M (2015)
- No Time To Die: $25M (2021)
- Total: $85.4M
Bonuses contingent upon performance are still outstanding for No Time To Die, but nonetheless, that’s a solid haul to say the least, especially when you look back at where Craig’s career was when he was cast as Bond back in 2006. We know that role is physically taxing – it’s one of the things that Craig has talked about publicly…that the physical demands and rigors of the role are strenuous. So, hey – let’s call it well-deserved for a guy who has flat out nailed the role. He’s also set to make a cool $100M to keep the Knives Out sequels coming. So, I’d say it’s a good time to be Daniel Craig – some money in his pocket, and the creative freedom to pursue roles that interest him.
Brandon Vick and I took a deep dive into the career of Daniel Craig, how his portrayal of James Bond stacks up against other actors to portray James Bond, rank Craig’s Bond movies, and even try to suggest an actor or two who could take up the mantle of Bond once Craig steps down from the role on the latest episode of The Vick’s Flick’s Podcast. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify, or simply smash that play button on the show embedded below!
Listen to “Ep. 85: Daniel Craig and the James Bond Character” on Spreaker.Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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