Daniel Craig‘s era of James Bond movies took on a much darker toner than the franchise had previously adopted, and there could be an explanation in a parody of the legendary film series as to why this happened. Every actor to play James Bond brought something new and refreshing to the role, and each man’s era as 007 took on a slightly different vibe. However, Craig’s time leading the franchise led to a drastically different approach that suited the movies well, but the change may not have just come out of thin air.

All the James Bond movies have been so popular through the decades that several spoofs have inevitably popped up. Some have taken the source material and completely gone their own way with it. On the other hand, other James Bond parodies have been much more subtle when reworking the original movies for comedic purposes. Interestingly, there is one spoof franchise that shares key figures of the James Bond creative team, and it could account for Daniel Craig’s era becoming so dark when compared to the previous 007 movies.

Neal Purvis & Robert Wade’s Johnny English Was A Lighter James Bond

Rowan Atkinson played the title character in the 2003 spoof

Among the most successful James Bond parodies is 2003’s Johnny English, with British comedy legend Rowan Atkinson in the title role. The movie was co-written by Neil Purvis and Robert Wade, who went on to contribute to every Bond movie script in the Daniel Craig era. Johnny English went on to become a trilogy, with a fourth movie announced in February 2024. The difference in tone between Johnny English and Craig’s Bond movies could not be more disparate, with the former being riddled with lighthearted hijinks and the latter being incredibly gritty. However, the shared writers could weirdly explain that.

By the time Purvis and Wade came to pen the script for 2006’s Casino Royale, the writers may have scratched their itch for comedic spy antics. Instead, they decided to mark the change in the era of the James Bond franchise by making it much darker than both Johnny English and past 007 movies. So, in a roundabout way, Johnny English became a sort of warm-up for Casino Royale and beyond. If the writing duo hadn’t been able to flex their comedy muscles before Craig’s casting, the Bond franchise may have continued along the same track it had for decades.

Johnny English (& Brosnan’s Era) Proves Purvis & Wade Can Write Lighter Bond Movies

The Daniel Craig era writing duo also worked on 2 Brosnan Bond movies

Daniel Craig’s era may have been staunchly dark throughout the actor’s run, but the fact Purvis and Wade had written Johnny English immediately before Casino Royale goes to show they aren’t one-trick ponies. They’re very capable of writing less intense spy movies, and they do it well. That being said, Johnny English isn’t the only spy movie by Purvis and Writers to pre-date Casino Royale and its dark tone.

The writing duo was also behind the scenes during Pierce Brosnan’s time as James Bond, penning the last two of the actor’s four movies in the title role. Brosnon’s Bond movies may not have hit the same lightheartedness as Johnny English eventually did, but they are certainly nowhere near as serious as Daniel Craig’s five installments. With only one year separating 2002’s Die Another Day and Johnny English, it’s clear to see that Purvis and Wade wanted one last dalliance with silliness before bringing something new to their signature style for the foreseeable future.

Daniel Craig’s Darker Era Was The Right Choice For The James Bond Franchise

The Bond reboot was perfectly timed to update the 007 movies

Although Casino Royale marked the start of a new kind of James Bond movie, it was about time the film series received a much-needed reboot. Not only was it EON’s way of reclaiming the movie’s title from a 1967 spoof movie, but the decision to go darker perfectly suited the modern age of cinema. If the James Bond movies had continued in line with the same old formula, then it’s possible the franchise could have fallen into obscurity.

Craig has since proven he’s capable of embodying more lighthearted characters, as evidenced in his work as Benoit Blanc in the Knives Out movies, but his portrayal of an even more serious Bond than the versions that came before him is what helped solidify his era’s success. It’s currently unclear what the future of the James Bond franchise will look like without Daniel Craig, but Purvis and Wade have established themselves as capable of various kinds of writing if they return to pen further scripts.