In a surprising turn of events, Amazon has assumed full creative control over the iconic James Bond franchise, leading to the departure of long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson. This shift has sparked a fervent discussion on who should step into the shoes of the next 007, a question that Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos, directly posed to his followers on X / Twitter.
The responses were emphatic, with a range of actors being suggested for the role. Among them are Tom Hardy, known for his role in "Venom"; Idris Elba, a prominent figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; James McAvoy, who portrayed Professor X; Michael Fassbender, famous for playing Magneto; and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who was previously rumored to be a frontrunner. However, the overwhelming fan favorite emerged as Henry Cavill.
AnswerSee ResultsFollowing Bezos' tweet, Henry Cavill quickly became a trending topic online, fueled by the passionate support from James Bond fans who envision the former Superman and "The Witcher" star as the next 007. The speculation about Cavill's potential casting has intensified with Amazon's new involvement, especially since Cavill has signed on to star in and produce Amazon's eagerly awaited "Warhammer 40,000" project.
Cavill's history with the Bond franchise is well-documented; he auditioned for the role in the 2006 film "Casino Royale." Director Martin Campbell praised Cavill's audition, describing it as "tremendous," yet Cavill, at the age of 23, was deemed too young for the part, which ultimately went to Daniel Craig. In a 2023 interview with The Express, Campbell reflected on Cavill's audition, stating, "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, noting, "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."
As the search for the next James Bond continues following Daniel Craig's departure after No Time to Die, Campbell provided insight into the casting process, saying, "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. 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 added, "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."
