In fifty years of James Bond movies, this is only the second one in which Bond suffers a gunshot wound. He was also shot in Opération Tonnerre (1965) during the Junkanoo chase.
The role of Kincade (Albert Finney) was originally written with Sir Sean Connery in mind. Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson originally wanted Connery to come out of retirement and make a surprise cameo. Director Sir Sam Mendes told "The Huffington Post", "There was a definite discussion about (Connery playing Kincade), way, way early on. But I think that's problematic. Because, to me, it becomes too... it would take you out of the movie. Connery is Bond, and he's not going to come back as another character. It's like, he's been there. So, it was a very brief flirtation with that thought, but it was never going to happen, because I thought it would distract."
The passport used by Daniel Craig was not created by the prop department, but an authentic document as issued by the British Home Office, according to producer Michael G. Wilson. Everything from the paper, print, photograph, and jacket are entirely genuine on James Bond's "official passport". However, as a security measure, the passport is encoded with information that would instantly flag its improper use in any official transaction. The actual details shown on Bond's passport in this movie are as follows: Name = John Adam Bryce; Date of Birth = 16th December 1968; Sex = Male; Place of Birth = London; Date of Issue = 22nd June 2012; and Expiry Date = 22nd August 2029.
If you watch the scene in the Komodo dragon pit closely, you will notice Daniel Craig has strange-looking, pudgy hands. This is because during filming, Craig had gone to the shops and purchased a pair of gloves that he thought were fitting for 007. Director Sam Mendes let him wear them in the scene, but later during editing, they realized the gloves didn't work with the logic of the scene: James Bond's gun is picked up by a henchman, who is unable to fire it because the gun has been coded to Bond's palm print, only allowing Bond to fire it. Therefore, Bond wearing gloves makes no sense, as he wouldn't be able to fire his gun. After some frantic calculations on how much re-shooting the scene would cost, it was deemed too expensive, and Craig's hands were CGI'd in.
Michael G. Wilson: Producer Michael G. Wilson has been doing regular cameos in the official James Bond franchise since L'Espion qui m'aimait (1977), with his first being in Goldfinger (1964). Wilson's cameo appearance in this movie was mostly cut out, but there is one shot of him still in the movie. The sequence that got cut, was a funeral procession of hearses, Wilson's cameo was as a pall bearer. Wilson is still seen in the movie at a distance through a doorway, during the sequence where Dame Judi Dench is standing next to the MI6 coffins covered with Union Jack flags.
Nicky Hayden: Uncredited, the professional motorcycle racer as a motorcycle rider during the opening chase sequence.
Gregg Wilson: The associate producer appears next to Bond wearing a black shirt at the drinking game early in the film.