James Bond producer "cannot imagine" the character after Daniel Craig

Daniel Craig in No Time to Die — (Image credit: Universal)

James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli – who has produced nine out of 25 of 007’s adventures – has opened up about Daniel Craig’s departure as the iconic secret agent.

Speaking on the Being James Bond documentary (which is free on iTunes should you want to relive Craig’s tenure in his own words), Broccoli said, "Daniel has taken the character, the series, the whole thing to a place that is so extraordinary, so emotionally satisfying that I cannot imagine Bond after Daniel."

For an actor who was once dubbed ‘James Bland’ and, inexplicably, criticized for the color of his hair, Daniel Craig ended up reinventing the franchise for the 21st Century. The gadgets and ‘Bond Girls’ may have remained, but the series is now grittier and packing more of a punch than ever.

Craig also took time to reflect on his five movies, while also paying tribute to the past, "I look at what I’ve done and go, ‘That’s part of Goldfinger’… I’m connected to Dr. No, I’m connected to Live and Let Die. My tenure is what it is, but it’s part of something bigger."

Whatever the next generation of Bond looks like, one thing is certain – the revolution will not be televised.

Barbara Broccoli recently spoke to Total Film and shot down talk of a possible deal to make Bond TV shows with Amazon, "We make films. We make films for the cinema. That’s what we do." Fellow producer Michael G. Wilson added: "We’ve resisted that call for 60 years."

For more on Daniel Craig’s swan song as 007, check out our guide to No Time to Die.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.