Daniel Craig is sliding into the role of James Bond like an olive into a martini.

His 007 debut in Casino Royale was a global smash in 2006. The sequel Quantum of Solace, already setting attendance records in Europe, is expected to make major coin on this side of the Pond when it opens Friday (screenings begin at midnight tomorrow).

Craig, 40, has gone from being a critic's pick in British cult faves like Layer Cake and Enduring Love, to an international star. He overcame initial fan resistance that he was too blond and not handsome enough to play 007. A certain amount of smugness on his part might be forgivable.

Yet as he sits for an interview recently in Toronto, dressed in a non-trendy cardigan and sporting an arm sling for a shoulder injury now on the mend, Craig seems every bit as humble and as thrilled to be here as the day he was handed his licence to kill.

"There have been a lot of surprises," he says, smiling as he contemplates them.

"The biggest surprise is the fact I'm travelling around the world, seeing places I've never seen before."

This may seem an odd admission for a man whose iconic character is always on the move, and who does so with multiple passports. Bond could be a crack tour guide should he ever tire of spy work.

Craig, however, is entirely sincere about wanting to make Bond seem more human, not less, even if that makes his take on 007 seem less than heroic at times.

"There's an emotional life to him, I think. Someone who goes around killing people for a living, it's probably a little more interesting to see them handle their demons. I think even if you're the hardest man on Earth, there are questions you ask yourself. There's no big deal. It's just the way it is."

Critical consensus on Quantum of Solace, the first official sequel in the 007 canon, is that it's a payback flick: Bond sets out to avenge the death in Casino Royale of his lover Vesper Lynd.

"I'd argue that; I don't think it's about vendetta," Craig says.

"I think it's the opposite. The fact is, he's not after revenge.... I think the movie is about forgiveness and understanding who your friends are. It's about understanding betrayal, which is what he feels in Casino Royale."

Forgiveness? Understanding? These are not expected attributes for a character known for lethal zingers like, "Welcome to hell, Blofeld," as Sean Connery said in Diamonds Are Forever.

But if there's anything certain about Craig after two outings of Bond, it's that he doesn't want things to be business as usual, and neither do Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, the franchise producers.

Craig does admit to ambivalence about the excising of classic tropes like "Bond, James Bond" and "shaken, not stirred" from Quantum of Solace, which in many respects is more like a Jason Bourne movie than a James Bond one.

"People keep asking me, `Where are the Bond lines?' And the `Bond, James Bond' one was in Quantum of Solace, but it jarred. It really stuck out. It felt like a self-conscious statement."

The line may be reinstated for the DVD release and that would be okay with Craig.

"I'm not averse to it. I love those lines. The `shaken, not stirred' line is still a great line, but I think we should use it sparingly. Carefully.

"If we do another (Bond movie), there will be a moment for the line. We won't just kind of fit it in. It will have some bang in it again. These are good gags and they should have a bang in them."

He also thinks he may in time change in his attitude towards Bond. Craig is an actor who plays 007, not a guy who believes he is 007. He's taken roles in other movies – including The Golden Compass and Infamous – that a man determined to keep strict control of his public image probably wouldn't have accepted.

Craig is curious about what make Bond tick, but that's as far as it goes. He harbours no fantasies about being a noble assassin.

"I don't think I judge him. I think that's his character. He shoots first. Bond shoots from the hip. He walks in the door guns blazing. He's a good shot, so he hopefully hits the target and then he asks questions. That's his job. I don't particularly relate to that, but I do understand it. And making him like that is important.

"If I get a chance to make another one of these, and do end up making four of these movies, I might well be judging him more than I am now. I never felt like I needed to."

Wait a minute – why does he keep saying if he makes another Bond movie? He's contractually obligated to do four in total (five by some reports) and he has received almost universal praise for his work.

Many fans rank him second only to Connery amongst the six actors who have played Bond.

Why wouldn't he make another one? Craig is all too aware that while Bond may be forever, the actor playing him isn't. By the time he turns 50, he may be looking at Bond through the rear-view mirror of an Alpha Romeo.

Which doesn't mean he isn't enjoying himself while the ride lasts.

"Yes, for sure, for the moment," he says, grinning. "Where's the wood?"

He superstitiously knocks on the coffee table in front of him, for good luck. Even James Bond needs to rely on fortune at times.