Daniel Craig, ‘Bond 25’ cast ‘massively’ excited to return for the newest film
"I just want to have as good a time as possible," Daniel Craig told ABC News' "Good Morning America" about reprising his role as James Bond for the fifth time in the forthcoming "Bond 25." "Because, you know, if this is to be my last movie, I just want to go out with a bang."
It's a claim Craig has made before -- in fact, "every time" he finishes a "Bond" movie, "Bond 25" director Cary Fukunaga said in the "GMA" interview.
"And I've missed it every time I do it," Craig admitted, adding "maybe" "Bond 25" will actually be it.
Craig first hit the screen as the world's most famous spy 13 years ago in "Casino Royal."
"Coming on to something like this changes your life in ways that you could just never guess," Craig said. "And most of it for the better."
"I've always watched 'Bond' movies since I was a kid, so I kind of knew what was going on. But when I took it on, I read every book and I watched every movie. And I sort of took everything I could and just sort just tried to absorb as much as I could," he explained.
He said he "didn't" have a "grand plan" but knew he wanted to make the character his own.
"I just thought, well, I know how to act, I think, so I'll just do that -- and the feel for it will come through," Craig said.
Under his reign as Bond, the legendary movie franchise became a box office juggernaut -- while 007 has taken on "emotional complexity" and "vulnerability," Fukunaga said.
"Through the last four films," he said, "there's a humanity there that I think is a lot different than previous iterations of the character."
He continued, "I think having those dualities play out in a character is far more interesting. And I think Daniel is, like, playing those threads masterfully."
But the strength of the recent "Bond" movies also relies on their ensemble cast.
Naomie Harris, who plays Eve Moneypenny, said, "I love being part of this franchise. It's unlike any other. Ultimately, it's a family."
The cast will soon begin shooting the new movie on location in Jamaica -- where Ian Fleming first created the iconic character over 65 years ago -- and both Harris and Craig are looking forward to returning to their characters.
"It's very unusual as an actor to have the experience of being part of something that you get to revisit," she added. "Because so often you're just kind of a gypsy. You know, popping into different worlds and then, you know, you don't know anybody. And then you say goodbye to people and you never really see them again. So I love reuniting."
Craig talked about his own journey back to the character after a "good break," which he says is "really, genuinely, massively exciting."
"I needed a break -- and it feels like exactly the right time to come back and do it," he said. "I'm kind of nervous, but in a really good way."
