For ages, Ian Fleming’s suave secret agent has become an icon of the world of espionage thrillers. James Bond is more than just an icon of British history: the character has entered the annals of cinematic history with every new incarnation. With Daniel Craig’s tenure over, fans had already mentioned who they’d love to see donning the legendary 007 code. But according to one director, Henry Cavill is too old to be 007 in the James Bond franchise.
Is Henry Cavill The Perfect Choice For James Bond?
One name has been on the tip of the tongue for many fans ever since Craig’s departure became imminent: Henry Cavill (or Scott Adkins, according to this director). The Man of Steel himself has some remarkable experience working on espionage thrillers thanks to films like Mission: Impossible – Fallout and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. – both films in which the British actor proved he’s more than just a die-hard fantasy or sci-fi fan.
Picking Henry Cavill as the next Bond seemed like the clear choice for most fans – but the higher-ups were not on board with the casting choice. Someone who wasn’t particularly convinced about Cavill’s future as 007 was New Zealander director Martin Campbell, a man who has directed not one but two James Bond revivals, including Daniel Craig’s Casino Royale.
Martin Campbell’s Comments On Henry
Campbell mentioned in an interview for Express UK that Henry Cavill’s audition for Casino Royale almost earned him the James Bond role. “He looked great in the audition. His acting was tremendous (…)” Campbell had nothing but praise for Cavill’s performance, mentioning that he also had the perfect looks to play the part of the legendary 007. However, at the time, the Superman actor looked much too young to play the part, with the studio favouring Craig for his more mature looks.
Ironically, the issue now is that Campbell believes that Henry Cavill is too old now to ever sign for a Bond trilogy. While Craig is fifteen years older than Cavill, he was 38 when he first became James Bond on the big screen. At 40, Cavill is just two years older than Craig was in Casino Royale, and considering his physique, there’s little doubt that Cavill would be more than capable of pulling off at least a couple of action-heavy Bond movies. After all, Tom Cruise is 60, and Mission Impossible films still look as breathtaking as they did two decades ago – perhaps even better.
Still, in the same interview, Campbell also details the process of choosing a new Bond, mentioning that it isn’t as simple as just picking the actor the director prefers. “I wasn’t favouring Henry,” he continued, as he mentioned that the process of choosing Daniel Craig for the role was the decision of an eighth-people committee which included producers, casting directors, and Campbell himself.
With the interview, Campbell put to rest the rumours about him picking Henry Cavill as his preferred Bond successor, as he believes the Man of Steel actor will probably be too old for the role when his third Bond film comes along.
A Younger James Bond
Ultimately, Henry Cavill (who might show up soon in Marvel’s Deadpool 3) lost the role of Bond to 33-year-old Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who will be suiting up as the next 007 in 2025’s Bond 26 – at least that’s what the rumours suggest. According to others, the Kraven The Hunter actor has yet to confirm or accept the role of the iconic MI6 secret. While we wait for an official announcement, however, the Kick-Ass star continues to fill up his schedule with new work, including joining the cast of 28 Years Later (the third installment in the popular horror zombie franchise).
Of course, it’s possible that Aaron Taylor-Johnson will reject the offer, and the role becomes available again. Whether or not that opens up an opportunity for Henry Cavill to be Bond remains to be seen.
That said, one thing is for sure: after the recent DC and The Witcher debacles, fans would be more than glad to see Cavill returning to the silver screen in a more titular role, and there’d be no better role for him than the debonair (and legendary) 007.
Tell us, do you think Henry Cavill would make a great James Bond 007? And do you think No Time To Die has the worst ending of any James Bond film?
