How Daniel Craig Changed James Bond Forever With His 007 Portrayal

Many people feel that Daniel Craig was the perfect James Bond, possibly even more so than the actors who played the role before him. Since Craig assumed the role in 2006 for the Casino Royale sequel, many people have come to associate the character with his heroics.

Indeed, it is widely thought Craig’s 007 era is a good example of how the franchise has evolved well over the past ten years and has taken a more modern outlook. James Bond is an example of a movie series that proudly offers relatable entertainment that fans can constantly rely on, as opposed to some movie franchises that try to focus on long-term successes.

 

While personalizing and playing the part of 007 for years, Craig gave the character more humanity by portraying Bond as a protagonist with empathy, emotions, and morality, as opposed to merely being a hero. Now that he has completed the assignment, he has completely transformed the character, which will now be developed on the already-built foundation.

Trends appeared before Craig’s portrayal

There was a trend that emerged from all the sequels that Craig appeared in. Each of those movies built on the others to give the series a sense of closure that depends on the idea that Bond is an actual person, not just a mere agent name. And while he still has flaws like all people do, he develops trustworthiness, respect for the lives of his friends, and a desire to leave behind something more meaningful than his violent past throughout the course of five movies.

In addition to evoking nostalgia for bygone eras with their attention to detail and automobiles, all of the James Bond movies produced during the Craig 007 era also encourage reflection on these details and the notion that the world is shaped by forces other than governments and criminal organizations.

In the 21st James Bond film Casino Royale (2006), the game of Baccarat is replaced by no-limit Texas Hold’em poker. This was a change that had many people conflicted because the novel that was eventually made into the movie entailed the game of Baccarat.

Despite the fact that Bond’s poker hands were the weakest when the game started in that scene, the game turned around in the opposite way, and he won the game with the best hand.

While there are more factors that defined the 007 role in the Craig era, here are some of the more specific changes:

The movie became more realistic

Before Craig took the role, the final James Bond film, Die Another Day was released in 2002. The movie contained an invisible car and a mirror that focused on lasers, which drew a lot of backlash for its technological approach to devices and plot. As a result, the Bond franchise sought to go back to more grounded, realistic themes for their subsequent films.

 

Craig’s performance as James Bond gave the series all it required to be believable. His facial expressions reveal that he is truly uncomfortable in difficult circumstances, and he avoids them by using reason rather than spontaneous action. The prior James Bonds may have seemed impervious to harm, but it was made clear that he was quite vulnerable to injury.

The movies became way less sexist

Prior Bond movies occasionally displayed misogyny and were criticized for it. Many of the female characters in the earlier Bond era were too sexual and had little to do with the plot, which contributed to the widespread misogyny of the time. Undoubtedly, the Bond film series needed to make serious changes.

With more female characters receiving significant screen time and playing more important roles during the Craig era, the franchise underwent a significant transformation. Additionally, in the most recent Bond film, we got to see some of the most qualified female characters in the film.

Increased collaborative efforts among the characters

The audience’s affinity for supporting figures who are as varied and interesting as James Bond himself contributed to the popularity of the franchise. The supporting characters were improved when they were reintroduced during the Craig era, adding new components to the movies that gave the story a lighter tone.

Additionally, the supporting characters were added for increased teamwork, which was executed flawlessly. This made the movies so much more interesting, and perhaps it will continue in the next James Bond films.

Final Thoughts

As can be seen, the era that saw Daniel Craig portray 007 helped to change the way the James Bond franchise went about, which is why so many were disappointed when it was confirmed that he would be leaving his role. Whoever does take over from him will certainly have big boots to fill!