In almost every James Bond film our hero prevents a psychotic supervillain from realising his dream of world domination. For the makers of these movies, world domination is an ambition fulfilled a long time ago. The trick nowadays is to maintain their iron grip on the hearts and minds of the viewing public.

For a franchise that began in 1962, which has now clocked up its 25th entry, the most difficult moments arrive when new actors are introduced to take on the roles of familiar, beloved characters. Some of these characters have been replaced several times over, including the central figure of secret agent 007.