Marking two decades since Daniel Craig first captivated audiences as the suave James Bond, it’s a testament to his lasting influence on the iconic franchise. When he first stepped into the role in 2006 with “Casino Royale,” there was significant debate surrounding his casting. However, the film silenced critics by raking in $600 million worldwide, a new record for Bond at that time.

Craig’s portrayal of the legendary spy continued to thrill audiences, culminating in the massive success of “Skyfall” in 2012, which shattered previous records with a staggering $1.1 billion in global box office sales. Over his tenure as Bond, Craig’s films have collectively amassed nearly $4 billion in ticket sales. This figure doesn’t even account for the billions more generated through product placements, licensing, and syndication agreements.

Despite his remarkable success, Craig often expressed fatigue with the role in various interviews and media speculations. Yet, whenever he seemed ready to hang up his tuxedo for good, producer Barbara Broccoli managed to entice him back with lucrative offers that proved too tempting to resist.

Craig’s financial achievements as Bond are undeniably impressive. However, it’s intriguing to note that despite the massive earnings from the franchise, his stint as Bond is not his most financially rewarding role.

To understand his journey, we begin with his initial Bond salary. In “Casino Royale,” Craig earned a respectable $3.2 million, which, while significant, wasn’t quite the level of a top-tier Hollywood star at the time.

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How much money did Daniel Craig make playing James Bond?

Let’s start at the top. For his first outing as Bond, 2006’s “Casino Royale,” Daniel Craig earned a respectable but not exactly A-list salary of $3.2 million.

For the 2008 follow-up “Quantum of Solace,” he was paid $7.2 million.

That’s a measly $10.4 million for the first two Bond films. Those two films grossed a combined $1.2 billion.

With some confidence and strong results backing him up, Daniel was ready for a pay raise for 2012’s “Skyfall.” For his third Bond installment, Craig earned a $17 million base salary. He also negotiated net points on the backend, which resulted in $3 million worth of bonuses for a total payday of $20 million.

For 2015’s “Spectre,” Craig’s base salary was boosted again; this time, he made $25 million out of the gate. He then earned $5 million in bonuses for a total of $30 million.

Daniel once again was paid $25 million as a base salary for “No Time to Die.” So at this point, before any final bonus has been earned, Daniel’s total James Bond base earnings come to…

$85.4 million

While “No Time to Die” was released during the height of the pandemic, it still pulled in an impressive $774 million at the global box office. Factoring in Craig’s negotiated share of the backend profits, industry insiders estimate he took home roughly $25 million in additional bonuses for his final outing. That brings his total earnings from the Bond franchise to right around…

$110 million

Not too shabby for five movies, and clearly a major contributor to Daniel Craig’s current $200 million net worth.

How do Daniel’s earnings compare to Pierce Brosnan’s?

Pierce Brosnan earned $4 million for 1995’s “Goldeneye.” He then earned $8.2 million for “Tomorrow Never Dies,” $12.4 million for “The World Is Not Enough,” and $16.5 million for “Die Another Day.”

Add it all up, and Pierce Brosnan’s Bond earnings come to $41.1 million. But also keep in mind that Pierce’s earnings should probably be adjusted for inflation to be apples to apples. After adjusting for inflation, Pierce earned around $78 million for his four Bond films.

So Pierce earned an average of $19.5 million after adjusting for inflation, $10.25 million without adjusting.

Daniel earned an average of $17 million (across five movies) before any bonus on the final movie. With his estimated $25 million backend bonus factored in, his per-movie average sits at a staggering $22 million.

A Bigger Payday Without the Tuxedo

While it is undeniably impressive that Daniel Craig earned $100 million playing James Bond, it is worth putting that fortune into perspective. To earn that money, he had to dedicate 15 years of his life to a grueling, high-pressure franchise, pushing his body to the absolute limit through five action-packed films filled with brutal stunts, broken teeth, and torn ligaments.

Believe it or not, playing the world’s most famous super-spy isn’t even his most lucrative role.

In 2021, Netflix won a massive bidding war to secure the rights to two sequels for the 2019 hit murder-mystery Knives Out. To ensure Craig would return as the eccentric Southern detective Benoit Blanc for Glass Onion and the 2025 sequel Wake Up Dead Man, the streaming giant cut him a staggering, upfront check for $100 million.

Let that sink in: Daniel Craig earned more money signing a single contract to play a tweed-wearing detective in two dialogue-heavy whodunits than he did over a grueling decade-and-a-half playing James Bond.