Daniel Craig speaks about Bond 23 delay, wants to finish what he started

13-Aug-2010 • Skyfall

Daniel Craig is in Western wear these days on the New Mexico set of "Cowboys and Aliens," but he can't help but wonder whether he will ever don James Bond's tuxedo again. "It's out of my hands," the British actor said to the LA Times during a break from shooting. "I'm ready and willing, and if I get the call, I'll be there."

It's not clear when -- or even if -- that call will come. The fiscal crisis at MGM has suspended the cinema spy's license to kill.

Craig, who is plainly proud of his work in the iconic role, is eager to tie up the loose ends in the plot with a third film, but he seemed to have more questions than answers about the topic.

"You probably know more than I do," Craig said. "It is what it is. Unless MGM can sort themselves out, we can't make a movie. It's hard to talk about things that aren't happening. There will be more to say when things are happening. I'm really keen to get going, it's as simple as that. And I'm hoping that, in a while, we will."

Craig turned 42 in March, but his world-weary version of Bond may benefit from a few more wrinkles. The question is whether an especially long delay might prompt the franchise decision-makers to go for a youth movement and a new story cycle, much as Sony is doing with a total restart of its "Spider-Man" franchise.

Craig, though, clearly wants to finish what he's started, no matter what the challenges.

"I felt as if we were just getting going and that we'd get the chance to make a couple more," the actor said. "I'd like to fulfill the circle with the story. But, yes, there is nothing really to say until whoever gets that house [at MGM] in order. There's no chance of getting it made until those things are taken care of."

Thanks to `danslittlefinger` for the alert.