There was a brief moment where the producers behind the James Bond franchise considered making Casino Royale with Pierce Brosnan, but I’m glad that didn’t happen. While a mixed bag overall, Pierce Brosnan’s Bond movies can be credited with introducing the character to a new generation.

The Roger Moore James Bond era ended with his weakest outing A View to a Kill, and while Timothy Dalton’s two movie run is mᴀssively underrated, his take on 007 didn’t fully click with audiences. After Licence to Kill, legal issues kept Bond off the big screen for six years, with that drought being broken by GoldenEye.

Had Brosnan’s debut not worked, the franchise would likely have died. Instead, Brosnan’s suave, witty and oh-so handsome 007 reinvigorated the franchise and ensured its survival for years to come. Sadly, his era ended with Die Another Day, which – in my opinion – is the worst official James Bond movie to date.

There’s also confusion over what Brosnan’s final film was meant to be. It was ᴀssumed Brosnan’s Bond 21 would have been an original adventure more in line with DAD, but the franchise retrospective Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films confirms his last film was meant to be Casino Royale.

Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond 21 Would Have Been A Very Different Take On Casino Royale

Casino Royale is Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel, and a classic spy novel in itself. Rights issues kept it out of the hands of franchise producers EON for decades, and there was a terrible spoof film made from the novel by different producers in 1967.

EON finally nabbed the rights in 1999, though they opted to make Die Another Day as their next film. This proved a smart choice as it was an enormous success in 2002, nabbing $432 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo); that’s over $810 million when adjusted for inflation.

Brosnan was eager to make one last adventure next, but EON wasn’t sure what way to take the series. It made sense to keep Brosnan on – but it also made sense to adapt Casino Royale too. Since the book is essentially 007’s origin story, the logical move would have been to cast a new actor in the role.

Regardless, screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade set about writing an adaptation with Brosnan in mind. The star was excited about the film too, as it offered a chance to make his 007 “edgier and grittier.” Of course, the story would need to be tweaked, since instead of being a newbie, Brosnan’s would already be an experienced 00 Agent.

Just as negotiations for his return were drawing to a close, Brosnan was informed EON had suddenly stalled talks. The star was then called by producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and told he wouldn’t be returning as 007, and Casino Royale would be a reboot instead of a sequel.

I’m Glad Pierce Brosnan Was Recast For Casino Royale

Brosnan was understandably shocked and upset by this, and I can’t blame him. Even if the material didn’t always serve him well, he was a fantastic Bond and deserved a better finale than Die Another Day. That said, Brosnan was absolutely the wrong choice for a Casino Royale adaptation.

Again, the book and movie are about the mission that made Bond into the agent he became. He’s still learning the ropes, and his doomed romance with Vesper (played by Eva Green in the 2006 film) teaches 007 a painful lesson about the spy game. For that story to work, he needed to be somewhat wet behind the ears.

This would have been the opposite case if Brosnan had starred in Casino Royale. The star would have been in his early 50s, and his Bond would be closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Making Casino Royale into Brosnan’s last film would have wasted a good starting point for a new actor.

Quentin Tarantino Wanted Pierce Brosnan For His Take On Casino Royale

In the end, Daniel Craig was cast as Casino Royale’s Bond, with his debut being one of the finest entries in the entire saga. Before EON secured the rights to the novel, a young Quentin Tarantino eyed the book as a potential follow-up to Pulp Fiction and spent years pursuing it.

QT envisioned Brosnan as Bond, Uma Thurman as Vesper and Samuel L. Jackson as Felix. To differentiate from EON’s 007, Tarantino planned to shoot his Casino Royale in black and white and set it during the 1960s. However, Tarantino believes the franchise producers got wind of his plan and worked to subvert him.

They won the rights to the book, and thus, Tarantino’s Casino Royale never happened. Had Brosnan been cast in this specific take on the book, maybe it could have worked.

There’s Still Time For One Last Pierce Brosnan Bond Adventure

With Amazon taking creative control of the Bond saga, all eyes are on which actor will be cast next. Bond 26 will be Amazon’s priority, but for the first time in the franchise’s history, the option for multiple 007 films and shows is wide open. On that front, I’d love to see one final adventure with Pierce Brosnan’s Bond.

The star is looking fit and suave as ever in his 70s, and there has never been an Old Man James Bond movie. Brosnan has stated he’s open to a return, too. It’s likely the same line of thinking is happening somewhere within Amazon – whether it leads to an actual movie (or miniseries) is another question.

Source: Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond by Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury, Box Office Mojo