Depending on who you ask, the search for the new James Bond is finally nearing its end. That means we’re that much closer to seeing what director Denis Villeneuve — and Amazon Prime, which now owns the rights to the Bond property — has in store for the character. If it feels like it’s been a long time coming, that’s because it definitely has. While we got a great Bond story in the form of a video game earlier this year, it’s been five years since we last saw 007 on the big screen, and 20 since the Bond cycle reset with a new origin story in Casino Royale.
Exciting as it will be to start fresh, it’s not so easy saying goodbye to the last Bond, Daniel Craig. The actor only starred in five films, but he’s technically held the role longer than any actor who came before him. 15 years was more than enough time to get attached; it doesn’t hurt that his batch of films are among the strongest in the franchise’s history. Craig’s incarnation of Bond (with the help of some talented directors) reimagined this spy saga as one that could take itself a little more seriously, a sorely needed pivot after installments that featured race-swap surgery and tsunami-surfing. Casino Royale might be one of the most successful “gritty reboots” we got in the 2000s... and before a new Bond officially takes on the mantle, we’ll be able to relive it in theaters one more time.
