Daniel Craig: Beyond Bond

The beloved English actor has been gracing our screens for many years, with women everywhere swooning at one glance. His piercing blue eyes and fair hair have been a contrast to the traditional tall dark and handsome Bond look, but his rugged style has upheld the attraction to the character of 007.

Craig has featured in four Bond films to date with his fifth film, No Time to Die, due to be released next year. His feature in Skyfall focused on the character’s childhood and for once, a Bond film revealed secrets about the character himself instead of his enemies.

But Craig is more than just one of the Bond actors. He’s played many great characters and not just the type who enjoys playing Roulette in casinos. Check out some alternative films that Craig has featured in and see what you think in comparison.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Situated in Sweden, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a film based on the Millennium book series by Stieg Larsson. Craig plays Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist who has recently run into some trouble after publishing some content with questionable sources. In an attempt to save his career, he takes a job offered to him by Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to help find his niece, whom the family have been searching for, for 40 years.

To help him solve the case, Blomkvist demands the help of the person who carried out the background checks on him for the job – he knows that some of the information isn’t in the public eye. Lisbeth Salander, the girl with the dragon tattoo, is a serial hacker and tech whizz. The pair work together to solve the mystery of Harriet Vanger as well as resolving their personal issues.

With lots of action scenes, you would think that Craig is in familiar territory. In reality, instead of playing the brave hero like he is used to in Bond films, he is playing a journalist who doesn’t know how to hold a gun and needs Lisbeth to rescue him time and time again.

An incredible crime and mysterious storyline that will leave you in disbelief and on the edge of your seat. Not only is there a sequel film, but the book trilogy is also available for you to continue discovering the adventures of Lisbeth and Mikael.

Cowboys & Aliens

In this film, Craig plays the main character, Jake Lonergan. The outlaw wakes up in the middle of the desert with no memory of who he is or why he is there, but he knows the gauntlet around his wrist is not only not his, but not from anywhere he has been before.

Lonergan cannot remove the gauntlet so decides to find someone who can. He stumbles upon a town where he is made to stand trial for his crimes but ends up being rescued by powerful cattleman, Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). Amongst the commotion, an alien aircraft attacks the town and activates Lonergan’s gauntlet as a weapon. He saves the town by shooting down the alien aircraft before having a flashback that reminds him of his recent alien abduction.

Lonergan unites the townsfolk, the natives and anyone he can find to battle the aliens. It’s a battle of tactics and brainpower, as the alien’s technology far outweighs the guns that the cowboys hold. In a bid to prevent the extinction of the human race, Craig and his fellow cowboys must fight fast, but it’s a race against the clock to protect the Earth from destruction.

And those are a just a few examples of some of the characters Daniel Craig has played outside of the world of James Bond. What are other notable Daniel Craig roles that you have seen him play? Let me know in the comments below and have a great day!