The 56-year-old filmmaker jokingly responded, “Let’s be serious. There’s no way to know James Bond’s sexual desires, period. The important thing is that he completes his missions.”

His comment sparked laughter from the audience, as well as from Daniel Craig, whose fame skyrocketed thanks to his role as the iconic spy. Guadagnino kept the playful tone, saying, “Darling, I love you,” to Bond.

In Guadagnino’s new film, Craig takes on a completely different role, playing a man living in 1950s Mexico City who enters into a relationship with a younger man (played by Drew Starkey).

Guadagnino admitted that he initially didn’t expect Craig to accept the lead role in Queer: “I’m a realist—if you want to make films, you can’t be a dreamer. But someone in this room wasn’t realistic and suggested Daniel Craig. I replied, ‘I’ll think about it, but he won’t accept.’ ‘Let’s ask him,’ they said, and he clearly said yes. He’s one of the greatest actors, and it’s a privilege to work with him.”

Watch the moment from the press conference: