8 Movie Re-Castings That Were Totally Justified
4. Pierce Brosnan Replaces Timothy Dalton - Goldeneye
By all means, yes, Timothy Dalton's stint as James Bond is one of the franchise's most underrated, but there's no denying Pierce Brosnan was a clear step up.
With Martin Campbell helming a soft reboot of the Bond series in 1995's Goldeneye, Brosnan was brought in as Dalton's replacement and immediately set about turning in a performance as one of the most iconic versions of 007 going.
He's charming and lethal in equal measure, and though Brosnan's tenure as Bond would be marred by three disappointing follow-ups, Goldeneye's status as one of the all-time great spy films is a testament to the actor's magnetism in the role.
Add to that the fact his performances as Bond were all praised despite the declining quality of the series, and it's clear that, although Brosnan's Bond didn't signal a resurgence for 007 on the big-screen, he was certainly made to play that role.