Daniel Craig is no longer James Bond, says actor Mark Strong

The news of whether Daniel Craig would be there for another James Bond film just got another angle, when his good friend Mark Strong said that he might shed his tuxedo. When asked whether he'd be up for playing a villain in a 007 film, Strong said that he would have done it if the 47-year-old actor would have played Bond.

Strong told ShortList in an interview,"Do you know what, I’d have loved to have played the villain in a Bond movie while Daniel was doing it because he’s a pal and that would have been great. But I think he’s come to the end of his Bond time and so it’s probably never going to happen, but that would have always been great."

Strong also added, “Having played so many villains, it would have been wonderful to have done the villain of villains, if you like. Because a Bond villain has a status all of his own.”

Seeming to put the proverbial nail in the coffin, the 52-year-old actor added that Craig had done what he wanted with the role. "He has been [wonderful] and he’s loved it. But I think he feels like he’s mined it. He’s done what he wants with it. That point has come," Strong said.

This would suggest that despite being contracted for one more outing as 007, Craig is hanging up his tuxedo and putting a stop to destroying Aston Martins.

The confusion on whether the actor would be returning for another Bond film had heightened upon the announcement that he would be starring in a TV adaptation of Jonathan Franzen's novel Purity. 

So the question now is, who will take on the mantle of the iconic character? Idris Elba and Damian Lewis have been favourites to play the role. Actors Tom Hardy and James Norton recently joined the mix of hopefuls. 

Whichever actor it'll be, the intensity that Craigi brought to the character makes it a tough act to follow.

(With ANI inputs)