Of course, any discussion of Bond has to end with a certain actor of Scottish descent. Just like you never forget your first kiss, millions of movie fans will never forget their first Bond ... Sean Connery.

Craig, like his predecessors, will inevitably be compared to Connery as well. "The same thing happened with Pierce Brosnan. And Roger Moore had a tough time at first. Everybody is used to seeing one particular name as Bond," said Bucksbaum.

That could bode well for Craig though. Despite some of the nasty comments about his appearance on DanielCraigisnotBond.com -- ugly is a popular word used to describe him -- people who have seen the film suggest that "Casino Royale" is more similar in tone to the original Ian Fleming Bond novels and old Connery films produced by Albert Broccoli.

So it does look promising for Craig. But it still remains to be seen whether or not fans will really embrace him. And make no mistake. Sony needs "Casino Royale" to be a hit.

Brosnan raised the bar in terms of what Hollywood insiders have come to expect from James Bond films at the box office. If "Casino Royale" fails to hit the magical $100 million mark in the U.S., there will definitely be rumblings about whether Sony will need to find a new driver for a certain Aston Martin.