TORONTO — Daniel Craig is back onscreen as James Bond next week, but moviegoers who were agog over the actor's rippling torso and abs in "Casino Royale" may be disappointed to learn that he mostly keeps his clothes on in the new 007 instalment, "Quantum of Solace."

Asked recently about his covered-up character, Craig -- slightly embarrassed -- admitted that co-producer Barbara Broccoli urged him to doff his shirt more often when the film was being shot, asking: "Why am I paying you?"

"There was not a beach scene," a sheepish Craig said by way of explanation.

The blond actor was widely credited with reinvigorating the Bond franchise when "Casino Royale" was released two years ago.

Much was made of his brutal, raw portrayal of the suave superspy, but his buff body had film fans buzzing as well.

One of the most talked-about scenes in "Casino Royale" featured a super-cut Craig emerging from the ocean wearing a pair of stylish powder-blue bathing trunks. The sequence, some Bond aficionados noted, recalled Ursula Andress coming out of the water in the 1963 Bond flick "Dr. No," and Halle Berry doing the same in 2002's "Die Another Day."

One critic called Craig's bulging Bond "demonically sexy" and "scorchingly hot" while another said the actor's body was "truly something to behold" and "possessed of a coiled, catlike grace that's atypical for an action star."

Though women did most of the swooning, men took notice as well. Numerous fitness websites set out to answer the elusive question: "How can I get a body like Daniel Craig?"

That was then.

"Quantum of Solace" is a stark departure from Craig's first turn as Bond. While "Casino Royale" featured a lengthy high-stakes poker game and was filled with banter between Bond and love interest Vesper Lynd, the new film is all about the action, chockablock with chase scenes and shoot-'em-ups.

The story picks up right where "Casino Royale" left off, with Bond devastated after being double-crossed by Vesper.

The secret agent's heartbreak is so great it's even affected his legendary libido; 007 is uninterested in romance this time around, engaging in just one brief tryst with British Bond girl Gemma Arterton -- which gives viewers the film's only look at his chiselled chest.

Director Marc Forster, whose previous film credits include "Monster's Ball" and "Finding Neverland," says it didn't feel right to showcase Craig's body any more than that.

"We have a scene where he takes his shirt off, and I think that's actually plenty," said Forster.

"I felt the script didn't dictate him to take his shirt (off) more often. Unless there's a point in it for the story, there's really no reason to show it.

"I believed it would come across contrived, just showing his body if there's no reason for it."

Producer Michael G. Wilson concedes that female viewers got a kick out of Craig's physique in "Casino Royale."

"I think a lot of the women enjoy seeing Daniel with his shirt off, but I think (what's important) is whether it's appropriate in the film," he said.

"I know Barbara (Broccoli) was always saying to the director, 'Come on, get his shirt off.' It was not a conscious or unconscious decision, it was just simply what seemed appropriate."

Even the other female lead in "Quantum of Solace" -- Olga Kurylenko -- insisted that it wouldn't be thematically right for Bond to be jumping into bed with her character.

"(She's) not at all about that. She's not looking to pick up a man," said Kurylenko.

"He's just lost the woman he loves ... that's why there's just one sex scene where he takes off his shirt," added Forster.

Upon further reflection, the director insisted that audience members will get a proper eyeful of Craig in "Quantum of Solace": "If you actually time it, I think he takes his shirt off probably longer (in 'Quantum of Solace') than walking out of the ocean (in 'Casino Royale')!"

"Quantum of Solace" opens Nov. 14.