The entertainment world was rocked by the news that Amazon has assumed full creative control over the James Bond franchise, with long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson stepping back. This shift has sparked a flurry of speculation and excitement about who will be the next to don the iconic 007 moniker. Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos, took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to engage fans directly, asking them to weigh in on who should step into Daniel Craig's shoes as the suave secret agent.
The response was overwhelming, with fans voicing their preferences for the next James Bond. While names like Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson were thrown into the mix, one name resounded more loudly than the others: Henry Cavill. The former Superman and Witcher star quickly became the fan-favorite choice, trending online shortly after Bezos's post.
The surge in support for Cavill has led to speculation about whether his chances of portraying the world's most famous spy have increased with Amazon's new involvement. Cavill's recent commitment to star in and produce Amazon's eagerly awaited Warhammer 40,000 project adds fuel to the fire, raising the question of whether he might also be tapped to play Bond.
Cavill's history with the Bond franchise is well-documented. He famously auditioned for the role during the casting of 2006's Casino Royale. The film's director, Martin Campbell, praised Cavill's performance, describing it as "tremendous." However, at the time, the then 23-year-old Cavill was deemed too young, and the role went to Daniel Craig.
Reflecting on the experience in a 2023 interview with The Express, Campbell noted, "He looked great in the audition. His acting was tremendous. And look, if Daniel didn’t exist, Henry would have made an excellent Bond. He looked terrific, he was in great physical shape… very handsome, very chiseled. He just looked a little young at that time back then."
Cavill himself acknowledged the close call in an interview with Josh Horowitz, saying, "It was ultimately down to, and this is what I’ve been told, it was just down to me and Daniel, and I was the younger option. They obviously went with Daniel and I think it was an amazing choice to go with Daniel. I probably wasn’t ready at the time and I think Daniel did an incredible job over the past movies, so I’m happy they made that choice."
With Daniel Craig's departure from the franchise after No Time to Die, the search for the next James Bond has been ongoing. Campbell added, "By the time Daniel got to [No Time To Die] really he was at an age where one more would have been too old for him." He also mentioned the typical contract for Bond actors, stating, "I think they sign on for three Bonds, I’m not absolutely 100% certain of that. I know with Pierce [Brosnan] he had to sign on to three when we did him. So, that’s going to take, what, six years of your life maybe? I suspect Daniel [had] the same deal. And the next guy’s going to have to do that."
Considering Cavill's current age of 40, Campbell noted, "Henry’s 40, so by the time he’s done the third one he’s going to be 50. Anything beyond that’s two, three years per Bond. He’s in good shape Henry, he’s a good guy. He did very well in the audition, but ironically, he was too young."
