It would appear that we are ready for the official announcement: Daniel Craig, up and coming British film star, will become the new James Bond, in next year’s production of Casino Royale.
I have nothing but congratulations for him. From what I’ve seen of him, he’s an excellent actor (see him in Road to Perdition), and he has the buff, smouldering appearance to carry the weight of 007 (in a very Sean Connery sort of fashion). He’s also going to be the first blonde 007…
…But…
It was a complete and total mistake to drop Pierce Brosnan. He rescued the franchise in 1995, and he’s burned himself into the public imagination as successfully as Connery and Roger Moore did before him. Brosnan’s effortless ability to be the suave and smooth hard man made for compelling viewing. His quartet of Bond movies range from the outrageous-but-watchable (Die Another Day), to one of the best Bond films in the entire canon (The World Is Not Enough). He deserved a send off worthy of his talent. He deserved fireworks and a standing ovation. He should have had the opportunity to make a memorable swan song, finally managing to add Casino Royale to the official Bond canon…but rapacious interests somehow killed the opportunity.
So…I will be more than happy to watch Casino Royale and give Daniel Craig a chance to make the role his own. But I’ll also be fighting pangs of wistfulness at what the movie might have been with Brosnan in the role. That might not be fair to Mr. Craig…but it’s simply human (and Bond fan) nature.
