Daniel Craig Says He's Not Confirmed To Return As James Bond

The question of whether Daniel Craig will return as James Bond has been ongoing ever since Spectre opened nearly two years ago. The next Bond movie now has a release date, and recent reports suggested that Craig would indeed be back as 007. However, the actor has now stated that he is not confirmed in the role.

In an interview on the Preston and Steve Daily Podcast to promote his new film Logan Lucky, Craig was asked if he will play Bond for a fifth time. "I don't want to be coy, but I really can't talk about this," he said. "Nothing has been confirmed. I know what the papers are saying, and when I read them, I'm thinking 'What?' But nothing is confirmed." Of course, it is unlikely that Craig would announce his return to the franchise so casually, even if he was now signed on.

The most recent rumors that Craig would return as 007 came last month. Sources told the New York Times that he is to portray Bond "in at least one more film. This follows a similar report from British tabloid the Mirror earlier in July.

The next film in the series already has a release date of November 8, 2019, but an official title or director remains unknown. A joint statement by production companies Eon and MGM that was released last month read, "additional details regarding distribution, including international release dates, [and] the film's cast and director will be announced at a later date."

In October 2015, Craig said if he were to play Bond again, it would "only be for the money." A year later, a report claimed that Craig was offered $150 million to star in the next two Bond movies.