Dick Van Dyke, best known for Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, was once approached by producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli to potentially replace Sean Connery as James Bond, but turned the offer down instantly. The connection arose because Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was based on a novel by Ian Fleming, Bond's creator, and Broccoli had produced the film as well as numerous 007 instalments, including Goldfinger. Around the mid-1960s, with Connery reportedly considering leaving the franchise, Broccoli called Van Dyke into his office to gauge his interest in the role.

Van Dyke recalled reminding Broccoli of his distinctly non-British accent, prompting the producer to immediately drop the idea with the words "Oh, that's right! Forget it!" Connery ultimately stayed with Bond until 1971's Diamonds Are Forever before returning once more in 1983's Never Say Never Again, while Van Dyke went on to star in The Comic and a second self-titled sitcom. The actor later became an unlikely technology enthusiast, taking up computer animation in his sixties and creating effects for his show Diagnosis Murder; he turned 100 at the end of last year, having recently appeared on The Masked Singer and in a Coldplay music video.