Two iconic British fictional characters have experienced recent rejuvenations at the box office - Sherlock Holmes as portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. and James Bond as interpreted by Daniel Craig. David Leal asks, "What does it mean that these characters may be the best-known British subjects - living, dead, or fictional - across the globe?"
Leal is associate professor of government and director of the Irma Rangel Public Policy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.