Casino Royale was a hugely important movie in the James Bond franchise, but looking back on it nearly 20 years later, it was also the end of an era. Following the disappointing end to Pierce Brosnan’s time as 007, Casino Royale was Daniel Craig’s first outing as Bond. Not only that, but it served as a much-needed reboot for the franchise, delivering a more gritty and serious take on the superspy, which continued on throughout Craig’s time in the role.

Casino Royale achieved its goal of ushering in a new era of Bond, as it became the highest-grossing movie in the franchise up to that point, earned a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and has been hailed as one of the best Bond movies yet. However, as much as the movie helped to launch Craig’s 007 with great success, it is now clear with the rights to Bond leaving Eon Productions for the first time, that Casino Royale was the end of an era.

Casino Royale Was Supposed To Start A New Era For James Bond, Not End It

Daniel Craig Marks The Last Bond To Debut Under Eon Productions

Following Die Another Day, the James Bond franchise was being criticized for going too silly and needed some course correction. This included bringing in a new Bond, which is always a mᴀssive deal for the long-running franchise. Pierce Brosnan had held the role for nearly a decade at that point, across four movies, and was considered one of the best to play the role. The announcement that Daniel Craig would play Bond was seen as a risk, only for Eon and Craig to prove the critics wrong when Casino Royale was released.

However, with Eon now selling the rights to the Bond franchise to Amazon, Casino Royale also marks the final time they introduced a new James Bond to the world. There is really no other franchise like this where there is a knowing tradeoff of the main role every several years, and that makes the announcement of a new Bond actor a huge moment. Since the beginning of the franchise, Eon has been the one choosing who will take on the iconic role, but now Craig stands as the last 007 they have chosen.

The anticipation over who will play the next James Bond in the Amazon era of Bond movies is still mᴀssive, but it now comes with some trepidation. Eon has been a trusted source for choosing the right actor for this role, but now the choice is in someone else’s hands, who the fans don’t entirely trust yet. There is some speculation that Amazon will break from the tradition of hiring a lesser-known actor and instead go with a proven name. However, it seems clear that this choice will be very telling to fans about Amazon’s approach to handling the franchise.

Watching Casino Royale Is A Very Different Experience Today

The Beginning Of The End Of Eon’s Bond Era Carried More Weight Now

Casino Royale remains a very rewatchable James Bond movie, but it takes on a new feeling watching it now. Knowing this is the beginning of the end of the Eon era of Bond, there is a lot more impact to seeing Craig appear in the role for the first time. He steps into this franchise as the final 007, selected by the people who started it all. The fact that he turned out to be one of the most popular Bond actors is all the more satisfying, having this in mind.

It is a stirring reminder that, although Eon had held this character since the 1960s, they were still willing to take him in new directions and try new things. Their final Bond being a reinvention of the character feels profound, as if they were preparing the character to start a new chapter in the 21st century, in which they would no longer be overseeing things. However, it becomes even more impressive when looking at Craig’s eventual arc in the role.

Without knowing that Craig would be the final Bond of the Eon era, they sent the character on a perfect journey to say farewell. Casino Royale allowed Eon to show the origins of the character for the first time and led him right up to the death of James Bond in No Time to Die. They gave audiences the beginning and the end of the character with this final iteration of Bond, and there is something heartwarming in that.