Daniel Craig confirms return to James Bond on Colbert's 'Late Show'

As the end credits always say, James Bond will return. 

And Daniel Craig's take on the legendary superspy will live to die another day. 

On Tuesday the 49-year-old actor confirmed on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" that he would return for the 25th film in the 007 franchise.

Craig, who is the sixth actor to portray the famous MI6 agent since 1962, will be back for his fifth — and final — film after months of discussions, he told Colbert. 

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"I couldn't be happier," he said. "I think this is it. I just want to go out on a high note. I can't wait," he said. 

No details of the film have been revealed. But we've complied a dossier of things to know before Craig orders his last Vesper martini.

What can we expect for Bond 25?

The unnamed film will open in the United States on Nov. 8, 2019, after its traditional early release in the United Kingdom and across the globe. It is the longest gap between consecutive films featuring the same actor. 

The movie will be written by series stalwarts Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who have collaborated on several Bond films, it was announced in July. 

Purvis told British newspaper The Telegraph in February that he wasn't sure how to "go about writing a James Bond film now" in the wake of President Donald Trump's election and accusations against him of collusion with Russia.

Additional details, including the film's cast and director, will be announced later.

Tuesday's announcement followed months of reports about Craig's reluctance to continue the role. His mixed signals about his license to kill renewal caused tabloid speculation as to who would fill 007's tux. Publicly discussed contenders included Idris Elba, Tom Hardy and Tom Hiddleston. 

Last month, the New York Times quashed the rumors after reporting Craig would return "in at least one more film" following 2015's "Spectre."

How long has Craig played Bond?

Craig was announced as the successor to Pierce Brosnan in October 2005. He beat 200 actors for the part, including a 22-year-old Henry Cavill, who now plays Superman. 

When Bond 25 debuts, Craig will be the longest-serving actor to play Ian Fleming's creation. The late Roger Moore, who was the third actor to play 007, retains the record for the most appearances, starring in seven movies from 1973-1985.

What makes Craig different?

Craig's movies have added greater character development and continuity to a series that has generated plenty of eye rolls over the years.

The pigeon doing a double-take in "Moonraker," the balloon-blowup demise of Yaphet Kotto in "Live and Let Die" and Denise Richards' entire performance as a nuclear physicist named Dr. Christmas Jones in "The World Is Not Enough" should be forgotten.

Craig's tenure has cut back the cringe-worthy gags. He brought a grittiness to the role that Timothy Dalton wasn't able to pull off. And the movies walked back the campiness four years after Brosnan's tenure petered out following 2002's excessive, comically bad "Die Another Day."

Craig's first film, 2006's "Casino Royale" modernizes Fleming's first novel about Bond's first mission and adds a level of sensitivity to the character through his relationship with Eva Green's doomed Vesper Lynd.

Lynd's suicide in the final act sets in motion the first direct sequel in the film series with the somber "Quantum of Solace." The 2008 movie follows 007 as he seeks revenge and investigates a plot to take control of water rights in a resource-stripped South America.

But as with Sean Connery's "Goldfinger" and Moore's "The Spy Who Loved Me," Craig's third film, 2012's "Skyfall" is where he reached the embodiment of the traits that make his take unique.

The film combines classic Bond motifs (gadgets, MI6 staff and Aston Martins) with a cyberterrorist played by the scenery-chomping Javier Bardem to celebrate the franchise's five decades onscreen.

A return to the more formulaic "greatest hits" approach in 2015's "Spectre" reintroduced one the series' most famous villains, Blofeld, in the guise of Christoph Waltz as Bond investigates the shadowy organization SPECTRE. 

How successful are Craig's movies?

Two of Craig's movies have showered producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson with critical praise.

"Casino Royale" and "Skyfall" retain more than 90 percent scores on review-aggregating website Rotten Tomatoes. "Quantum of Solace" and "Spectre" received mixed reviews.

On the financial front, "Spectre" grossed more than $880 million, a dip from the 50th-anniversary "Skyfall" which netted more than $1 billion, according to Box Office Mojo.

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