Talk of a darker, moodier Bond is not new though. Timothy Dalton was described in very similar fashion when he succeeded Roger Moore, whose movies seemed to get goofier and goofier (Bond in outer space? 007 fighting Grace Jones?), in 1987.

But Dalton only lasted two go-arounds as Britain's top secret agent. "The Living Daylights" and "Licence to Kill" were commercial flops as many critics and fans found them to be too violent and dark. Still, Robert Bucksbaum, president of movie industry research firm Reel Source, said he doesn't think Craig will suffer the same fate as Dalton.

"I wouldn't blame Dalton for those films' performance because I think the writing was stale," he said. " 'Casino Royale' was written perfectly for Craig. The initial fight scene within the first five minutes of the movie is harrowing and shows a much tougher Bond."

Bucksbaum thinks "Casino Royale" could wind up grossing $130 million to $140 million in the U.S. That would make this movie the second-most successful Bond at the box office, behind only 2002's "Die Another Day."