Daniel Craig Tests Positive For COVID-19, Cancels Return To Broadway

Coronavirus strikes again!

Daniel Craig's highly–anticipated return to Broadway in a new version of William Shakespeare's play "Macbeth" has been canceled after the renowned actor contracted Covid-19.

On Saturday, April 2, the Hollywood veteran was forced to temporarily bow out of the play before its commencement earlier that afternoon.

As shared by ET, the show's production team announced the heartbreaking news of Craig's Covid-19 status and the resulting cancellations of the Shakespearean tragedy on their official Twitter account.

The entertainer, best known for his portrayal of James Bond in the eponymous movie franchise, halted the "Macbeth" play after testing positive for the virus less than two hours before Saturday's matinee and evening performances.

The Broadway committee's statement read, "Today's matinee and evening performance of MACBETH are canceled due to Daniel Craig just testing positive for COVID this afternoon."

The play's showrunners also apologized to fans for the sudden cancellation of the scheduled performances, explaining that they could not compromise the audience, cast, and crew's safety.

To make amends, the production promised to refund all the canceled performances' tickets "at the original point of purchase," but did not specify if more shows would be affected by Craig's condition.

At the time, the "Casino Royale" star's current condition has not been confirmed and it remains unclear whether or not the entertainer suffers from any symptoms.

The Shakespeare play, held at the Longacre Theater, marked the "Knives Out" star's return to Broadway since his last stage appearance in 2013's revival of Harold Pinter's "Betrayal."

Tony Award winner Sam Gold directed the Scottish tragedy with original music provided by Gaelynn Lea and a first-time Broadway appearance by Ruth Negga, who plays the "Layer Cake" actor's wife Lady Macbeth.

Performances for the play began on March 29 while official production was scheduled to start on April 28 and run until July 10.

In addition to his Broadway return, "Macbeth" also marked the 54-year-old's first role since ending his time as a secret agent in the Bond series' 2021 finale, "No Time to Die."

Despite receiving worldwide recognition for playing the famous 007 agent, the English actor once thought about quitting, as previously revealed by The Blast.

The Critics' Choice Movie Award winner became one of the most beloved and longest-running actors to portray Bond for 14 years in five movie installments. 

Although he played the character to perfection on the big screen, bringing this action-packed role to life took a toll on the Hollywood heartthrob's body.

At the time of the fourth movie "Spectre," the father-of-two announced his plans to retire because of the numerous injuries received from playing Bond and the arthritic feelings that came with age. 

While performing as the English agent, "The Golden Compass" star received numerous muscle tears and ruptures that required several surgeries and rehabilitation until the actor began wondering if these movies were worth the damage.

Craig stated that it took five years to change his mind about returning to the franchise because he "felt physically really low." However, unlike in the previous four installments, the actor used stunt doubles for risky scenes.

Craig has undoubtedly created a legacy for himself as the ultimate James Bond, but unknown to many, he had doubts about landing the beloved role.

As The Blast previously shared, during an interview, the England native looked back at his rise to fame, recalling the thoughts he had while auditioning for the Bond character.

According to the renowned actor, he never believed he could fill the shoes of former "007 agents" like Pierce Brosnan and initially hoped to land a villain's role.

Although Craig became a celebrated entertainer, he began from modest beginnings and pursued an acting career to escape from waiting tables for the rest of his life.

Given his humble background, it made sense that the 54-year-old doubted his talents as the next Bond but after getting the role, the father-of-two ensured he created a memorable character. In his words,

"Maybe I’ll be remembered as the Grumpy Bond. I don’t know. That’s just my Bond and I have to face up to it, that has been my Bond. But I’m quite satisfied with that."