Sony can also take solace in the fact that the Bond franchise has already endured many changes and has continued to dazzle audiences for more than forty years.

So it's hard to imagine "Casino Royale" being a major disappointment.

"The franchise is so strong and has endured for so many decades. Yes, this new film presents an obstacle with the new Bond but it's still something that people want to see. Despite the casting change, Bond stands alone as one of the top action franchises," said Gitesh Pandya, editor with movie research site BoxOfficeGuru.com. He has not seen the movie yet.

After all, Roger Moore had arguably the toughest shoes to fill when he took over as Bond and his seven Bond movies went on to gross nearly $350 million in the U.S. and $1.2 billion worldwide.