Well, after all the months and months and thousands of stories, it's official. 100% Genuine.

Daniel Craig, of mediocre gangster flick Layer Cake fame, has been announced as the new "younger, edgier" James Bond 007 in a press conference today.

I am still confused as to this plan to "cast a younger Bond". I guess that meant, "younger than Pierce" as 37 year old Craig is five years older than Sean Connery was when he starred in Dr. No at age 32. The problem is, for someone portraying a "younger Bond just starting out", time has not been kind to craggy-faces Craig who looks every single year of his age, plus interest.

After all the good news of Martin Campbell back as a director, going back to Fleming's source material and hiring Crash writer Paul Haggis this smacks of a kick in the teeth. This hasn't been about casting the best actor for the role. This smacks of that wonderful "flavor-of-the-month" casting that Hollywood loves when it comes to Brit actors who star in a movie that gains a cult following in the US. They've just cast the most high-profile new Brit of the moment.

I can't prove it, but a guarantee you this. When Pride and Prejudice is released in the states, star Matthew MacFadyen would likely become the american's next "flavor-of-the-month". And had the casting process co-incided with this MacFadyen would probably have found himself in the running too. Sadly for all of us, MacFadyen would've been an infinitely better Bond than Craig (he's already portrayed a spy in BBC's MI-5/Spooks) but we'll never know now thanks to another brainfart by the Barbara Broccolli/Michael G. Wilson House of Shame.

No annoucement was made on how many Bonds Craig is contracted for but expect Casino Royale to be the last at this rate.