Daniel Craig didn’t feel physically capable to make another Bond film after ‘Spectre’

There was a very real possibility that 2015 would be the last time we saw Daniel Craig as James Bond.

“I thought I probably was physically not capable of doing another,” Craig told GamesRadar+/Total Films of how he felt after wrapping Spectre. “For me, it was very cut and dried that I wasn’t coming back.”

The 53-year-old actor suffered a meniscus tear in his knee during “a punishing six-month shoot,” according to the outlet.

“I went and did other things,” Craig continued, describing his process of returning to the Bond franchise one last time for the forthcoming No Time to Die. “I got some separation. My family forgave me for being away from home for that length of time. We started talking about it and I went, ‘There might be a story we need to finish here—something we started in Casino [Royale]. Something to do with Vesper, and Spectre, and something that was connected, in a way.’ It started to formulate. And I thought, ‘Here we go.’”

Craig first embodied the legendary secret agent in 2006, with Casino Royale, taking over for Pierce Brosnan. He has carried the role through five films since then, including No Time to Die.

The newest installment is due Oct. 8. The initial release was slated for April 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced several delays.
Watch the trailer below.