Daniel Craig ‘will return as James Bond’

We didn’t expect that…

Love him or hate him, it’s undeniable that Daniel Craig has become the heart and soul of the modern James Bond franchise - and he’s reportedly been confirmed for another one.

Despite vehemently insisting he wasn’t going to return to the spy thriller, a source close to the project has said he’s changed his mind, explaining to the Sunday Mirror, 'It’s taken time but Daniel has come round and the strong consensus in the Bond offices is that Mr Craig is 007 again.'

It’s a massive 180 for Daniel Craig, who famously told TimeOut during the Spectre publicity tour, 'I'd rather break this glass and slash my wrists’ than return to play Bond for a fifth time.

It comes as an even bigger surprise given that speculation has been building around several British actors, tipped to step into the famous 007 tux.

Tom Hiddleston and Poldark’s Aidan Turner were rumoured to be in talks for the role of James Bond, whilst Idris Elba, Henry Cavill and Tom Hardy were also listed as potentials. Although rumour has it Tom Hiddleston was soon out of the running for the role of Bond for this rather awkward reason.

Even Gillian Anderson and Charlize Theron were tipped for the part, potentially playing the first ever female 007.

Adele has also been tipped to return, with fans hoping she will lend her smoky tones to the next film.

The source revealed to the Mirror, ‘Craig and Adele together are the winning team. She’s more of an unknown quantity but loved being part of Bond, so the signs are positive.’

It’s no surprise that the Bond team want to reunite Adele and Daniel Craig for the 25th film in the franchise’s history, as they made movie magic in 2012 with Sam Mendes’ Skyfall. The film was the most profitable Bond of all time raking in a worldwide gross of £861, 000, 000 as of April 2013, with Adele winning a Grammy and Oscar for the titular song.

However, Adele’s velvety voice could be in jeopardy as the singer cancelled two of her London gigs and revealed to her fans in a devastating Instagram post that she has damaged her vocal chords.

A source told The Sun that, ‘The fear is that she won’t be able to sing again’, which could mean trouble for a future Bond theme.