10 Movie Franchises That Ruined Iconic Characters Twice
7. James Bond - James Bond
The First Time
We can argue about whether or not George Lazenby was the first actor to ruin James Bond until we're blue in the face - he wasn't, by the way - but most will surely agree that Roger Moore's campier Bond flicks didn't always best serve the character's integrity.
Moore's films have their many fans, of course, but it's tough to defend against moments like 007 dressing up as a clown in Octopussy, or worst of all, a 57-year-old Moore reprising the role one time too many for 1985's A View to a Kill.
Moore not only looked noticeably older than in Octopussy, but seemed tired and lethargic in the action sequences, and seeing him go to bed with women decades his junior was icky to say the least.
Moore's run of movies were defined by their silliness, yet no matter how much you might unapologetically love Moonraker, A View to a Kill was a genuinely depressing rendition of the character.
Thankfully, it led to Timothy Dalton's two Bond flicks taking on a far more serious tenor, all for the better.
The Second Time
Make no mistake - Pierce Brosnan was perfectly cast as the James Bond of the mid-to-late 1990s, and Goldeneye served as an outstanding introduction for him.
Sadly the Brosnan-starring sequels got progressively worse until he concluded his run on 2002's Die Another Day, which after an intriguing opening sequence strands the actor in a gaudy mix of unironic ridiculousness and excessive CGI.
The moment that effectively killed the movie, though there are many to choose from, is the infamous sequence in which Bond surfs a giant tsunami.
Watching Brosnan trying to convince the audience he's actually surfing while composited against an awful green screen background was embarrassing enough to once again render 007 a total laughing stock.
As with Moore's final outing, Die Another Day's failure prompted the producers to again return to a more sombre, serious tone, resulting in Daniel Craig's brilliant Casino Royale reboot.