Will Daniel Craig quit acting after James Bond’s success?
Daniel Craig closed his chapter as James Bond with 2021’s No Time to Die, ending a fifteen-year run that redefined the franchise for a new generation. Fans still feel the shift, yet the record shows a career that kept moving forward with fresh roles and renewed stage work. His time as 007 sits alongside earlier theater roots and later projects that proved his range extended well past the tuxedo.
Craig’s acting career begins
Craig started performing in school plays at age six. He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and graduated in 1991. His first screen credit came in The Power of One as an Afrikaner soldier. Early parts mixed light fare such as A Kid in King Arthur’s Court with heavier material like Angels in America. By the mid-2000s he had built a steady résumé across stage and screen, though mainstream recognition remained limited until the Bond offer arrived.
Craig gets cast
Eon Productions approached Craig in 2005 to take over the role. He hesitated over the weight of the part before accepting. Online reaction turned hostile fast. A site called craignotbond.com collected signatures demanding the studio reverse course, calling Craig too short, too blond, and too odd-looking to carry the franchise. The New York Times noted his pale features and large ears in less-than-flattering terms. None of the protests changed the decision. Craig stepped into the tuxedo and began shooting Casino Royale.
Craig’s time as 007
Casino Royale opened in 2006 to strong reviews and solid box office. Craig followed with Quantum of Solace in 2008, Skyfall in 2012, Spectre in 2015, and No Time to Die in 2021. The final film earned $774.2 million worldwide and posted an 83 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics repeatedly singled out Craig’s grounded take on the character. Between Bond assignments he appeared in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Golden Compass, and he returned to Broadway in A Steady Rain. The spy series remained the centerpiece of his public identity for more than a decade.
The last time being Bond
No Time to Die confirmed Craig’s exit. The story finds Bond pulled out of retirement in Jamaica to locate a kidnapped scientist. A new agent, Nomi played by Lashana Lynch, operates under the 007 codename during the mission, marking a notable shift in franchise tradition. Craig has not appeared in the role since. No further Bond projects with him are planned, leaving the 2021 release as the definitive close to his tenure.
Post-Bond Film Roles and Acclaim
Craig moved quickly into new material. Glass Onion arrived in 2022 with Craig reprising Benoit Blanc. Queer followed in 2024, casting him as William Lee and earning Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, and SAG nominations. Wake Up Dead Man, the third Knives Out installment, brought Blanc back in 2025. The string of releases demonstrated that Craig could carry prestige dramas and crowd-pleasing mysteries without the Bond branding.
Return to the Stage: Broadway Macbeth
In 2022 Craig returned to Broadway in a revival of Macbeth at the Longacre Theatre. He shared the stage with Ruth Negga in a production that drew mixed notices yet kept his name in theater conversations. The run marked his first major stage appearance since the pre-Bond years and showed audiences a different side of his intensity under live conditions.
The Knives Out Franchise Success
The Benoit Blanc character became Craig’s clearest post-Bond signature. Glass Onion expanded the detective’s world with a star-studded ensemble and global streaming release. Wake Up Dead Man continued the series in 2025. Reports from 2021 placed Craig among the highest-paid actors partly because of the Knives Out deals, giving him leverage to choose projects outside franchise constraints.
Legacy and Net Worth
Craig’s estimated net worth sits between 160 and 200 million dollars as of 2025, built largely on the Bond films and the Knives Out series. In 2022 he received the CMG honor for services to film and theatre. The numbers reflect a career that turned a controversial casting into a long-term brand while still allowing room for stage revivals and auteur-driven pictures.
What’s next for Craig?
Craig has roles lined up in Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew and an untitled Damien Chazelle project still in production. The search for the next James Bond continues without an announced successor. Craig’s own focus has shifted to new characters and occasional theater commitments. Audiences tracking his path now follow a broader map than the 007 codename alone.
