The James Bond franchise has undergone several iterations over the years, but the hiatus between Daniel Craig’s exit in No Time to Die and Amazon’s upcoming franchise is the longest gap between recasts. There have been lengthy gaps between films, but never such an extended period where nobody was officially contracted to the role.

With updates on Bond 26 becoming increasingly rare, it could be a long time before James Bond finally enters its new era under Amazon’s creative control. There have been several legal disputes and licensing conflicts throughout its history, with certain Bond movies going ahead with Eon’s involvement. However, the studio has always managed to bring somebody new on board within a few years.

It’s Been Almost 6 Years Since Daniel Craig Confirmed He Was Leaving James Bond

The Actor Announced His Departure In 2019

Although No Time To Die wasn’t released until 2021, Craig had already announced that he was leaving the franchise two years prior. The actor had already proven himself to be one of the most dedicated James Bond actors ever, serving fifteen years in the role between Casino Royale and No Time To Die. His departure was a huge turning point for the franchise, as there’d already been some major negotiations at MGM regarding potential acquisitions; the future of the series had never looked more uncertain.

In the years that followed, very little progress was made in terms of casting the next James Bond. Several names were tentatively thrown into the mix, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson quickly emerging as the favorite. However, much of this hard work was undone when Amazon acquired the rights to James Bond in February 2025. Since then, the studio has been desperately trying to find the right cast and crew to push this franchise into the future, but nobody has officially been attached yet. Directors such as Christopher Nolan and Alfonso Cuarón were both reportedly approached, but no agreements were signed.

Pierce Brosnan’s Replacement Was Announced After One Year

The Actor Was The Face Of Bond Throughout The ’90s

The last time a new actor took over as the face of the James Bond franchise was twenty years ago, when Craig was officially cast as Pierce Brosnan’s replacement in 2005. He was the sixth actor to portray the iconic spy on film, and the casting process for Casino Royale was much swifter than what’s happening with Bond 26. The first reports of Brosnan’s departure started rolling in around September 2004 (via Entertainment Weekly), and it was mere months later that Craig had signed his contract.

While there was a lot of backlash surrounding Craig’s casting as James Bond, the actor ultimately proved himself to be a more than deserving candidate for this iconic role. However, it’s safe to ᴀssume that his public backlash is a leading contributor to the ongoing silence from Amazon during their auditions. The concept of finding the “perfect” James Bond has become such a comprehensive part of the franchise, and it feels like the studio’s high expectations are causing more problems than benefits.

Timothy Dalton’s Replacement Was Announced In The Same Year

Brosnan’s Casting Was A Record-Breaking Turnaround

Surprisingly, given how strongly his Bond era was plagued by studio disputes, Timothy Dalton’s replacement was found just a few months after the actor formally announced his departure from the franchise in 1994. Dalton famously only appeared in two James Bond movies, but there were plans for a third. This never came to pᴀss due to licensing disputes, and Dalton stepped back as soon as his contract expired. This was clearly a predictable decision, as Eon was ready to announce his replacement just a few months later.

Brosnan had been the second choice for Bond after Roger Moore’s departure, so the studio already had him in mind when it came to replacing Dalton. This is obviously a very different situation from the one that Amazon currently finds itself in, where the studio must essentially reboot James Bond from scratch with a whole new crew of both creatives and executives.

Roger Moore’s Replacement Was Announced After One Year

Dalton Went Through An Impressive Audition Process

After seven James Bond movies led by Roger Moore, it came as no surprise when the actor decided to step back from the franchise in 1985, marking A View To A Kill as his final entry in the canon. Just one year later, Dalton was announced as his replacement. Despite the quick turnaround, there was still an extensive audition process, and Dalton reportedly impressed Eon executives Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson with his classically trained talents.

Replacing Roger Moore as James Bond was certainly no easy feat, but the fact that Eon managed to turn around another excellent actor (who was very well-received) in just twelve months proves how swift and efficient the casting process really was. There was no doubt that James Bond would continue in some form, so finding a new actor was the top priority. This wasn’t quite the case following No Time To Die, where the future of the franchise was notably up in the air.

George Lazenby’s Replacement Was Announced After Three Years

Moore Stepped Into The Franchise After A Short Break

There’s a brief period in James Bond’s history where ownership of the character jumps back and forth between Sean Connery, George Lazenby, and Moore. Strictly speaking, there were three years between Lazenby’s departure and Moore’s arrival. Connery briefly returned in Diamonds Are Forever during this window, but he never intended to come back full-time, and Eon pᴀssively continued their search for a new Bond during that film’s production.

Sean Connery’s Replacement Was Announced After One Year

Connery’s First Movies Were Succeeded By George Lazenby

Strictly following the lineage of Eon-produced Bond movies (i.e., ignoring David Niven’s stint in 1967’s Casino Royale), there was just under one year between Connery’s departure from the role and Lazenby’s casting as the next 007. Although Lazenby only portrayed Bond once, he quickly impressed Broccoli and Wilson with his stoicism and impᴀssive interpretation of the character, perhaps due to how severely it differed from Connery’s light and charming performance.

The concept of James Bond being “recast” was somewhat unprecedented when Connery parted ways with the franchise after You Only Live Twice, and studio executives were reportedly very eager to get him back and maintain a sense of continuity between the films. Still, the quick turnaround of Lazenby’s casting set the precedent for introducing the world to a “new” Bond whenever the previous actor stepped back — a tradition that’s continued throughout the James Bond franchise.