The James Bond franchise, which spanned from 1962 to 2021, is one of the highest-grossing franchises coming in at around $8 billion. Over the years, the films have gathered quite the following. Despite some flops, the successful franchise has garnered many great installments.

When Daniel Craig was first announced to take over the iconic role of James Bond, fans were not excited to see the Brit cast. After the success of his first film, Casino Royale, however, Craig earned himself the title of one of the best James Bond actors in the franchise's history. His second outing, Quantum of Solace was a bit of a letdown, especially following the success of his first, but thankfully his third film, Skyfall, redeemed his status. Spectre dropped three years later, bringing more of a personal touch to the character's backstory. His final venture as James Bond, No Time to Die, was as big of a hit as his first, rounding out the actor’s time as Bond.

Speculation about Craig’s replacement has become a popular topic, as outlined by Esquire. At this time, no official word has been released on who will be cast as the new James Bond, but until then, fans can continue to root for their favorite. For those looking for a weekend activity, all the James Bond films can be watched chronologically or by release date, in a movie marathon to die for. For those looking to watch Daniel Craig’s performances as James Bond specifically, here’s a list of his films, ranked.

Update November 17, 2023: Today marks the 17-year anniversary of the release of Craig's first James Bond movie, Casino Royale. To mark the occasion, this article has been updated with more context about each of Craig's 007 films and where you can stream them.

5 Spectre (2015)

In the 2015 film Spectre, James Bond receives a cryptic message from his past, and a new organization, SPECTRE, is introduced. After the death of M and the new Head of the Centre of National Security taking control, Bond's life is not what it once was. He enlists the help of Eve Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to seek out his old nemesis, Mr. White's daughter (Lea Seydoux) in the hopes of unraveling the secrets behind SPECTRE. The closer he gets to solving the secrets, the closer he is to finding out an unsettling connection between the sinister organization and himself.

Why Is Spectre At The Bottom

Spectre is easily the weakest entry in Craig's era. Part of it is due to the unfair expectations thrust upon it as it was Sam Mendes following up his excellent Skyfall. It also featured two-time Academy Award-winning actor Christoph Waltz as the main villain and the return of Bond's primary enemy from the original series, SPECTRE. The problem was that the movie was too long, bloated, and self-serious despite having some of the silliest moments in the franchise.

While a letdown for many, the movie still contains many impressive action scenes, including a great villain by Dave Bautisa, and also sees the franchise do many fun modern spins on hallmarks and elements from the original 60's and 70's era where it felt like bringing the old Bond elements into the modern day.

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4 Quantum of Solace (2008)

In Quantum of Solace, James Bond seeks revenge for Vesper's (Eva Green) death. Accompanied by Camille Montes, played by Olga Kurylenko, the pair seek out their loved ones' murders. Their journey brings them to the wealthy businessman Dominic Greene, a member of the infamous Quantum organization. The organization plans on seizing control of the water supply in Bolivia, that is until James Bond interferes.

What Makes It Great

While Craig's sophomore performance as the resilient and steely Bond garnered rave reviews in addition to the picture's exhilarating action sequences, critics felt the follow-up couldn't quite live up to its predecessor's overall magic and impact. Even the actor himself was less-than-thrilled with the final results of the flick, describing it in 2021 as a "sh**-show" and declaring it one of his least favorite portrayals of the character. Regardless, Quantum of Solace still earned over $589 million at the box office and won a Satellite Award, and once again showcased Craig's phenomenal physical prowess as Bond.

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3 No Time to Die (2021)

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In his last film, No Time to Die, Craig's James Bond starts out in Jamaica, where he has settled after leaving active service. Unfortunately, his peace is short-lived when an old CIA friend, Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), turns up asking for the retired spy's help. The mission he is enlisted in involves rescuing a kidnapped scientist. Naturally, the rescue uncovers more than just a kidnapping, pushing Bond back into the service he left and fighting the same battle he has had since the beginning.

What Makes It Great

No Time to Die was Craig's swan song for his tenure as James Bond, as the talented actor revealed he was done with the franchise and declared at the time, "This is it. I don’t want to do any more." His final portrayal of the legendary spy garnered rave reviews from critics, with many lauding the exhilarating picture's heartache, action, exciting pacing, and overall emotional depth; Chicago Sun-Times wrote, "Daniel Craig's final moments as Bond rank among the most moving sequences in the history of this franchise, which has long favored the fantastic and the eye-popping in favor of genuine emotional stakes."

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2 Skyfall (2012)

In the 2012 film Skyfall, fans get to see more into the mysterious MI6 leader, M. After Bond's latest mission goes wrong, agents from around the world are exposed, including M. When MI6 is attacked, Bond, who has been laying low since having believed dead, and M have paired up again — this time to uncover who is behind the leak. When it turns out that it's someone from M's past (Javier Bardem), Bond takes her to what he believes is a safe place: his childhood home, Skyfall.

What Makes It Great

Skyfall undeniably featured Daniel Craig's finest performance as James Bond, and Javier Bardem's portrayal of the villainous Raoul Silva knocked it out of the park and attracted critical acclaim, with many considering Silva one of the greatest antagonists in the entire Bond series. Praised for its stunning cinematography, sensational action sequences, and Sam Mendes' brilliant direction, Skyfall became the highest-grossing Bond film and took in over $1.1 billion while also nabbing two Academy Awards. It was a great way to celebrate the franchise's 50th anniversary, and Bond was bigger than he had been in a long time.

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1 Casino Royale (2006)

Craig's first 007 film is still his best. Casino Royale introduces a newly inducted 00 status, James Bond. His first mission as a 007 brings him to a high-stakes poker game featuring Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a bank to the world's terrorists. MI6 leader, M (Judi Dench), sends Bond and Vesper Lynd, the Treasury Agent, to infiltrate the game and capture Le Chiffre. Under Vesper's watchful eye and the local field agent Rene Mathis, Bond settles in for much more than just a poker game.

What Makes It The Best

Daniel Craig's first outing as the legendary MI6 operative silenced the naysayers, and the actor completely crushed it in the action-packed role, earning the admiration and respect of not only moviegoers and critics but also his fellow Bond stars; Craig received Sean Connery's seal of approval, with the cinema great calling him "fantastic, marvelous in the part". Casino Royale was a major commercial success, grossing a whopping $616 million and effectively reinventing the Ian Fleming character into a hardened and brutal agent that more closely embodied the version of Bond from the novels. It was just the upgrade that Bond needed.

Had a sequel not been made, this could be seen as the definitive Bond origin for any other portrayals but it later kicked off one of the most sucessful action franchises of the 21st century and one of the most critically acclaimed and fan adored eras for 007.

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Daniel Craig Bond Movies In Release Order