Over in the United Kingdom, James Bond is just one week away from retiring, or at least No Time to Die actor Daniel Craig is. Yet despite walking away from the double-O role, he’ll be doing so with some rather real military decorations for his time on her majesty’s secret service.
Craig took over as James Bond in 2005, a year after Pierce Brosnan left the role he helped successfully reboot in the ’90s, following a couple of Timothy Dalton films that still to this day are among the worst performers for the franchise. Despite his complicated relationship with MI6, Craig is quite emotional about leaving James Bond, and considering the kind of honor he’s received from his country, it’s quite easy to see why.
As part of his going away presents, the UK’s Royal Navy has officially given Craig the title of Honorary Commander of the Royal Navy, the same rank James Bond holds in the movies and Ian Flemming’s novels. The announcement posted by the official 007 social media handles featured Craig visiting his fellow officers while donning the current Royal Navy’s uniform that Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Brosnan all wore at some point when portraying James Bond.
As part of the ceremony, Craig was greeted by the Royal Navy’s current highest-ranking member, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Tony Radakin. Craig expressed his excitement over the news, which gives him even greater ties to his country. For those unaware, James Bond's author also attained the same rank of Commander during his military career, which helped him come up with so many of the 007 adventures that later became immortalized in print and film.
Promotional efforts for No Time to Die are probably reaching their apex point as Craig prepares to say goodbye to a James Bond that was truly reinvigorated since Casino Royale, partly due to the extra complexity and emotional background the actor brought to the table. After No Time to Die's momentum fades away, producers will have to choose a new 007, with the leading candidates currently being Tom Hardy, James Norton, Rege-Jean Page, and long-time James Bond fan Idris Elba.
Of course, a lot of that could depend on how No Time to Die resolves Bond’s own story arc within the Craig era. Even if there will not be a female Jamie Bond in the future, there are rumors that Lashana Lynch could take over as 007 in some capacity, especially with how tough No Time to Die's Bond girls seem to be.
No Time to Die is set to release in the United States on October 8, 2021.
Source: @007|Twitter