The majority of anxious James Bond fans around the world can breathe a sigh of relief today, as the sixth actor to portray the super spy was revealed in a press conference held by Sony Pictures and Eon Productions in London, England. Daniel Craig, the 37 year old British actor from Cheshire, England, was confirmed as James Bond number six after intense speculation of Pierce Brosnan's alleged firing from the role.

The announcement was made after days of several dozen media outlets reporting the Layer Cake star was to be the next James Bond. Also "spoiling" the identity of Bond number six was Craig's own mother, Carol Craig, who revealed to the Liverpool Daily Post that her son got the role days earlier.

The conference was held in the unusual location of the moored British steamship the HMS President. Located on the River Thames near Blackfriars Bridge in the City of London, the ship was once a World War I British "Q-boat," used to counterattack the infamous fleet of German "U-boats" by using hidden weaponry and quick maneuvering. The news conference itself was attended by several media reporters and producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, director Martin Campbell and obviously Daniel Craig.

Craig commented about his upcoming role at the conference:

Daniel Craig becomes the sixth actor to officially don the 00 tuxedo, behind Sean Connery's reign as Bond from 1962 to 1967 and 1971 (as well as an unofficial stint as Bond in 1983's Never Say Never Again), George Lazenby's solo performance in 1969, Roger Moore's long streak from 1973 to 1985, Timothy Dalton's double dip in 1987 and 1989, and, most recently, Pierce Brosnan's four part outing from 1995 to 2002. In the unofficial films, Barry Nelson could be recognized as the first James Bond in 1954's made-for-tv movie Casino Royale, while David Niven played James Bond in the spy spoof Casino Royale in 1967. In this regard, Craig's Bond film can be seen as the third time the franchise has called a movie "Casino Royale," all named after the first Ian Fleming novel in 1953.

Craig is also the second James Bond to be born in London (besides Roger Moore) and the third youngest to first star as James Bond at 37 years old. Goerge Lazenby and Sean Connery debuted as James Bond at the tender young ages of 30 and 32, respectively. Coincidentally, today is Bond number four Sir Roger Moore's birthday, so happy birthday to him!

Despite this seemingly informative press conference, much work still has to be done on the part of MGM/Sony Pictures, Eon Productions, and everyone involved in the franchise. Will Craig's Bond disintegrate the series forever, or will he be the perfect fit for James Bond that the producers were looking for to refresh and revitalize the James Bond franchise?

It seems that only time will tell, but in the meantime, please feel free to voice your opinion on the subject at the BondMovies.com Message Board. Registration is free!

On a final note, congratulations Mr. Craig!