Pierce Brosnan is primed to sing again in 'Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!'

Pierce Brosnan did not meet his singing Waterloo in Mamma Mia! He is thrilled to show off his vocal chops again in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!

The rugged Irish actor, 64, known as 007 James Bond, made waves and attracted the ire of vocal purists as ABBA-singing Sam Carmichael in the 2008 smash musical hit Mamma Mia!

But now that Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! is underway for a 2018 summer release date, Brosnan says he’s undaunted, unbowed and ready to belt out ABBA tunes again for the sequel.

“I’m looking forward to it enormously. It was criminal how much fun we had the first time,” Brosnan tells USA TODAY. "I think the world is ready for Mamma Mia 2, and I believe the world is ready to hear me sing once more.

“He says that tongue firmly in cheek,” Brosnan adds quickly. “Maybe that was my problem, my tongue was firmly in my cheek when I was singing.”

Brosnan's Sam was one of three past lovers to Meryl Streep’s Donna in Mamma Mia!, the movie based on the ABBA-filled theater musical. The actor sang often, notably solo parts in SOS and When All Is Said and Done.

He was in good company in the musical, which made $610 million worldwide. Donna's other past lovers, played by Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård, did their own singing. But it was Brosnan who earned most of the critical sniping and a Razzie Award for worst supporting actor.

Brosnan says he has just received the script for Mamma Mia 2, and he’s not joking about showing off his vocals again.

“I’m singing — believe me, I’m singing,” says Brosnan. “I have to sing. I don’t care what they say. I love to sing. People don’t necessarily employ me for my singing. But I chose to sing.”

In fact, based on our suggestion, Brosnan approves a story line to be sent to sequel director Ol Parker.

“Maybe they should open the film with me singing in the shower,” says Brosnan. “There you have it.”

The original film's cast — including Streep, Skarsgård, Firth and Amanda Seyfried — will return for Mamma Mia 2 "with new additions joining them," according to a news release from Universal Studios. Executive producers Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of ABBA, will be aboard again to provide music and lyrics. The new film, in theaters July 20, 2018, will feature a new selection of ABBA songs.

Brosnan's vocals are now a command performance, says Pete Hammond, columnist for the industry website Deadline.com.

"Besides, this is ABBA. People give it a pass, everyone sings ABBA," says Hammond. "These are fun songs, it's a giant karaoke of a movie. And how many times do you get to hear James Bond sing? It's actually pretty cool."

The next big question involves spandex. Will Brosnan don the famously flamboyant, chest-baring costume he wore with his male co-stars in the full-tilt Waterloo credits sequence of the original movie? Brosnan doesn't confirm that.

“But that’s one costume I never kept, the spandex,” Brosnan says. “And I keep a lot of my costumes.”