How to watch the James Bond movies in order

Knowing how to watch the James Bond movies in order can be complicated. After all, unlike most franchises, these are not numbered entries. And while you can enjoy them all as solo adventures, or in batches depending on which actor's time as Bond you want to nestle down with, there's a reasonable order to watch them in.

The first James Bond movie was Dr. No, and came out over 50 years ago. The latest, No Time to Die, brought Daniel Craig's tenure as 007 to an end. The franchise has, at this point, never been more open-ended. Who will take over as the next James Bond? That's a question for another time. For now, let's sit down with these excellent movies and watch (or rewatch) the series.

First up, we've got the full list of James Bond movies in order if you want to marathon the whole thing. Then we've broken each Bond stint down, actor by actor. That's perfect for the year where George Lazenby slides in for a quick hello and confuses everything. It also makes choosing your favorite Bonds (and their best films) a whole lot easier. We'll even briefly touch on the decidedly non-canon entries from MI6's finest. Here's how to watch the James Bond movies in order.

How to watch every James Bond movie in order

Here’s the current order to watch Bond movies by release date. Starting in 1962 with Dr. No and ending (for now) with 2015’s Spectre.

• Dr. No (1962)
• From Russia With Love (1963)
• Goldfinger (1964)
• Thunderball (1965)
• You Only Live Twice (1967)
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
• Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
• Live and Let Die (1973)
• The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
• The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
• Moonraker (1979)
• For Your Eyes Only (1981)
• Octopussy (1983)
• A View to a Kill (1985)
• The Living Daylights (1987)
• License to Kill (1989)
• GoldenEye (1995)
• Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
• The World is Not Enough (1999)
• Die Another Day (2002)
• Casino Royale (2006)
• Quantum of Solace (2008)
• Skyfall (2012)
• Spectre (2015)

But that’s not the only way to watch James Bond movies in order. Debates have raged over the best actor who has donned the tuxedo over the years. Connery. Lazenby. Moore. Dalton. Brosnan. Craig. You’re probably thinking of your choice right now. Let’s divide them up so, if you wish, you can dive straight into the oeuvre of your favourite 007 – starting with Sean Connery and his one unique entry that you won’t find in the list above. Intrigued?

Sean Connery's James Bond movies

Out of all the actors to portray Bond, Sean Connery has (by far) the strangest run with the character. Having originated the on-screen movie role of 007, he starred in the first five Bond movies, departed from the role (and replaced by George Lazenby), before returning for the seventh, Diamonds Are Forever in 1971. He’d later go on to play James Bond again in the non-canon entry Never Say Never Again, a remake of 1965’s Thunderball. It’s not part of the main franchise, so you can ignore it if you wish, though we’ve kept it here for completion’s sake.

• Dr. No (1962)
• From Russia With Love (1963)
• Goldfinger (1964)
• Thunderball (1965)
• You Only Live Twice (1967)
• Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
• Never Say Never Again (1983)

George Lazenby's James Bond movies

Just the one man for our man Lazenby. He did help kickstart the prevalent fan theory that every James Bond is a different person, though. Sure, it’d later be retconned – but it was a nice wink and a nod from the new 007 in his very first scene.

• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

Roger Moore's James Bond movies

The most prolific Bond actor, Roger Moore played the character in seven movies across 12 years. His flicks are best known for heavily increasing the camp factor – and introducing a variety of several increasingly silly gadgets (crocodile submarine anyone?), which would fast become a staple of the franchise.

• Live and Let Die (1973)
• The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
• The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
• Moonraker (1979)
• For Your Eyes Only (1981)
• Octopussy (1983)
• A View to a Kill (1985)

Timothy Dalton's James Bond movies

Cards on the table. Dalton is low-key one of our favourite Bonds. If you’re eager for a grittier, proto-Craig version of 007 then you could do a lot worse than seeking out Dalton’s two entries as the secret agent.

• The Living Daylights (1987)
• License to Kill (1989)

Pierce Brosnan's James Bond movies

Brosnan picked up where Dalton left off after a six-year hiatus – to date, the joint-longest gap between Bond movies.

• GoldenEye (1995)
• Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
• The World is Not Enough (1999)
• Die Another Day (2002)

Daniel Craig's James Bond movies

Daniel Craig’s Bond films more or less follow on from each other so should be watched in order. A fifth movie, No Time to Die, is almost here.

• Casino Royale (2006)
• Quantum of Solace (2008)
• Skyfall (2012)
• Spectre (2015) 

Non-canon James Bond movies

As you may have already noticed, there’s one Sean Connery Bond film that isn’t counted as part of the mainline canon. For reasons too head-scratching to go into here (mostly involving licensing issues and years-long legal fights), there are two films that star James Bond but aren’t considered canon.

When considering the correct order of James Bond movies, that’s important – they don’t technically count, but are still an extra slice of 007, should you so wish it. The first is Casino Royale (no, not that one) from 1967, starring David Niven as James Bond. The second is the Thunderball remake Never Say Never Again, featuring Sean Connery in his seventh spin as Bond.

• Casino Royale (1967)
• Never Say Never Again (1983)

Check out our other watch order explainers, including:
-- How to watch the Marvel movies in order
-- How to watch the Star Wars movies in order
-- How to watch the Spider-Man movies in order