Ever since Daniel Craig ended his run as James Bond in No Time to Die, the question on everyone’s lips has been, “Who’s going to play the role next?”
The role of Bond has long been a coveted one in Hollywood. After Craig’s stellar tenure, it’s pretty evident that whoever’s suiting up for the role has enormous shoes to fill. After all, the agent is one of the most iconic movie characters of all time and the film series remains one of the longest-running movie franchises ever.
Although a few names have been floating around in recent days (Idris Elba, Regé-Jean Page, and Dev Patel among them), the latest name to make headlines is Aaron Taylor-Johnson. In fact, some fans believe it’s all but confirmed that he’s gearing up for the role. In the meantime, however, it’s as good a time as any to dive back into the world of espionage, gorgeous bombshells, and a good ol’ Martini (shaken, not stirred) and revisit the films that precede the next phase of the Bond dynasty.
All James Bond movies listed in chronological order
There are 27 James Bond movies so far, and the best way to categorize them is by the actors who have played him over the years. 25 of the movies were produced by Eon Productions, the company that holds the rights to Ian Fleming’s characters, and many consider those produced by Eon to be the official “James Bond franchise.” Here are all the movies produced by Eon:
Sean Connery era
- Dr. No (1962)
- From Russia with Love (1963)
- Goldfinger (1964)
- Thunderball (1965)
- You Only Live Twice (1967)
- Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
George Lazenby era
- On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Roger Moore era
- Live and Let Die (1973)
- The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
- The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
- Moonraker (1979)
- For Your Eyes Only (1981)
- Octopussy (1983)
- A View to a Kill (1985)
Timothy Dalton era
- The Living Daylights (1987)
- License to Kill (1989)
Pierce Brosnan era
- GoldenEye (1995)
- Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
- The World is not Enough (1999)
- Die Another Day (2002)
Daniel Craig era
- Casino Royale (2006)
- Quantum of a Solace (2008)
- Skyfall (2012)
- Spectre (2015)
- No Time to Die (2021)
Which James Bond movies weren’t produced by Eon Productions, you ask? There are only two: 1967’s Casino Royale and 1983’s Never Say Never Again. Casino Royale starred David Niven was more of a parody comedy than a serious spy thriller. It was produced by Charles Fledman, who held the rights to the Casino Royale adaptation at the time and decided to make the movie after failing to come to an agreement with Eon. The result is an over-the-top but hilarious spy parody. Never Say Never Again happened to feature the first Bond actor, Sean Connery, and marked his first time playing Bond in 12 years and also the last time he would ever play the part. Only time will tell which lucky actor will inherit the iconic role next.