20 Years of Craig
14th October 2025
Reflecting on 20 years since the Daniel Craig announcement
By MI6 Staff
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Today marks a milestone for the Bond franchise as it’s exactly 20 years since Daniel Craig’s casting as the sixth official James Bond was revealed at a London press event. It’s a moment worth revisiting - not just as a date in our editorial calendar, but as the beginning of an era that reshaped the franchise in unexpected ways.
On October 14th, 2005, producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, backed by MGM and Sony, officially unveiled Daniel Craig as the next 007, handing over the baton from Pierce Brosnan. The choice sealed months of speculation and rumour. Readers of this site back in 2005 had a day’s early notice as we broke the exclusive 24 hours prior.
Craig’s arrival by boat - exiting to media cameras from a naval launch - was a theatrical flourish in itself. As he later quipped, he thanked the Royal Marines “for bringing me in like that, and scaring the shit out of me.”
At the moment, there was both excitement and trepidation. Craig was not an obvious pick: his blond hair, somewhat slight frame (by Bond standards), and lack of blockbuster leading-actor status made him controversial in the eyes of tabloids and fans alike. The media reaction ranged from dismissive (highlighting that he wasn’t “tall enough” or conventionally suave) to defensive (insisting the producers were intentionally breaking from formula).
The press conference itself was later described by Craig (and many observers) as a bit of a “train wreck” - the spectacle of arrival overshadowed the substance of the announcement, and he looked visibly awkward at times. The tension between legacy and reinvention was baked into that moment.
Twenty years in the Bond world is a serious stretch. Nobody thought back in 2005 that Craig would go on to become the longest tenured actor in the role. To date, no other Bond has lingered so long in the public imagination in quite the same way. Craig’s run is now the franchise’s longest major arc: the reboot in 'Casino Royale', the deepening of characterisation, and ultimately a tragic, definitive end in 'No Time To Die'.
In 2005, Craig was seen by many as a bold, risky move. Alternative names (some more traditional) were floated widely. The producers themselves had framed the casting as a chance to “take the franchise in a new and exciting direction.” Many in the fanbase were sceptical - angry websites sprang up in protest, critics jeered the casting, and tabloid coverage was savage.
What Craig’s long tenure proved was that, once his reinterpretation of Bond gained traction, the franchise could stretch older expectations. Over time, critics and fans alike reappraised the leap made in 2005.
In retrospect, the gamble paid off spectacularly: Craig’s era not only revived the franchise creatively and commercially but also arguably elevated it. His five films grossed billions overall, won unparalleled critical acclaim, and shifted the tone and expectations for 21st-century Bond.
Today, as the dust settles on Craig’s era, it’s worth remembering how that 2005 announcement felt: bold, unconventional, perhaps polarising. It ended the same way.
