Daniel Craig Controversy

The film generated considerable media interest when EON Productions chose to end Pierce Brosnan's tenure in the famous lead role, but did not decide upon a successor for over a year. An official announcement was made during a news conference in London on Friday October 14, 2005 introducing Daniel Craig as James Bond, a decision that was instantly controversial.

Some vocal opponents of Daniel Craig's casting as Bond have threatened to boycott Casino Royale, going so far as to setup a website urging others to boycott the film as well. The web site, craignotbond.com, called on visitors "to stop Sony and EON from ruining the future of James Bond by hiring Daniel Craig."

Much of the animosity towards Craig's casting refers to his blond hair, his height and his looks. Although he is 5'11" (about 1.80 m) (two inches (about 5 cm) above the US and UK height average) he is referred to as short in comparison to all of the previous James Bond actors, who are consistently reported as being between 6'1" (about 1.85 m) and 6'2" (about 1.88 m). The subject of his looks is often the most debated, although his having blond hair, instead of Bond's typical dark hair, is most often the first issue from negative reception. Consequently, the media has dubbed Craig as "James Blond," although it is worth noting that Roger Moore also sported a lighter sandy coloured hair throughout many of his films; however, he is not considered blond.

It should be noted in light of this boycott that there seems to be no consensus among fans. Some web polls and fan forums indicate a more positive attitude towards Daniel Craig since the release of Layer Cake on DVD and the release of Munich in theaters. Other polls show mixed feelings or opposition to Craig as Bond.

To counter craignotbond.com, a number of pro Craig websites have been created such as craigisbond.net, givecraigachance.com and CraigAsBond.com. Additionally, many actors and actresses that have either worked with Craig in past films or have been featured in previous Bond films have come out in support of Craig as a good choice for Bond. This list includes four of the previous James Bond actors: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan.