Daniel Craig confirms his return in next James Bond film

Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Daniel Craig confirmed that he will return to the big screen as James Bond during an interview The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

"Yes," Craig said to great applause from the crowd after Colbert asked if he's be returning.

The remarks were the first time Craig personally confirmed he would return for his fifth foray as Bond after reports in the New York Times from January that he was "attached" to the next Bond film, which is scheduled for a 2019 release. It will be the 25th installment in the long-running series.

Earlier in the day, in an interview with Boston radio station Morning Magic 106.7, Craig said he hadn't decided if he'd return as Bond.

"I'd hate to burst the bubble, but no decision has been made at the moment. There's a lot of noise out there and nothing official has been confirmed and I'm not, like, holding out for more money or doing anything like that. It's just all very personal decisions to be made at the moment," Craig said. "I know they're desperate to get going and I would in theory love to do it, but there is no decision just yet."

Craig apologized to earlier interviewers for denying he had not decided.

"I wanted to tell you," Craig told Colbert.