Henry Cavill in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (Image: WARNER BROS)
“Henry Cavill will never be James Bond; his time has passed…” Well that’s what I always used to think until yesterday when everything changed.
Following EON Productions’ earth-shattering announcement that they are handing creative control to Amazon MGM Studios, he probably actually will be the next 007.
Earlier this month, the Hollywood hunk’s legendary Bond audition from some 20 years ago was unearthed on YouTube.
Just 21 at the time, the rising star with chiselled Action Man looks finished as runner-up to Daniel Craig at his 2005 Casino Royale screen test, which director Martin Campbell exclusively told us was “tremendous”.
Some actors in his situation later end up being cast as 007 (Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan, for example), yet it looked all over for Cavill.
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Henry Cavill has long be the public’s favourite to be cast as James Bond (Image: MGM/GETTY)
After being cast as Superman in 2013’s Man of Steel, there was no way, I thought, that he would ever be Bond now. You can’t be both a major DC superhero AND James Bond. You’re too famous now. On top of that, Hollywood started casting the young Brit as spies in 007-adjacent movies like The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Mission Impossible – Fallout and the abysmal Argylle. Matthew Vaughn, director of the latter, even admitted he wanted to nab Cavill before EON Productions could. Yet after drastically failing to utilise him in this turkey beyond a few cameo scenes, it’s thankfully unlikely we’ll see any more of that. Despite all this, the star has remained a prominent favourite among the top contenders of the bookies’ next Bond odds. He’s even been very open in recent years about being up for 007 talks with producers if they invited him.
Yet this brief spell of optimism subsided when Cavill turned 40, as Bond producer Michael G Wilson said they were now looking for an actor in his thirties. A-list fame for another IP as Superman, plus apparently now being too old: that was surely the end of the road for The Witcher star, even if it’s all fans everywhere always wanted. But then came this bombshell news of an Amazon MGM deal allowing the streaming giant full creative control of the Bond film franchise.
Given the suits are now more likely than ever to just give fans what they want, it seems extremely likely they’ll now tap Cavill. After all, we live in a world of internet fan-casting with John Krasinski cameoing as Mr Fantastic in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness after some fan art of him as the superhero went viral. In fact, Cavill himself featured as a fan-cast Logan in Deadpool and Wolverine, so why not have him fan-cast as Bond too? By the looks of it, Amazon are giving signs that it could well be his time.
Henry Cavill’s fan-cast Wolverine cameo (Image: MARVEL)
Following the deal’s announcement, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos himself posted on social media to poll fans: “Who’d you pick as the next Bond?” Overwhelmingly, the most liked top comments were in favour of Cavill. In fact, according to a new study by Betway analysing the number of searchers and article engagements of 31 potential 007 stars, it was the Superman actor who came out right on top. And given that Cavill’s Warhammer 40,000 TV show is officially in development at Amazon Prime, he already has a working relationship with the company.
As for his being 41, it actually shouldn’t be a problem if you look at the franchise’s history. Dalton was the same age when cast in The Living Daylights, Brosnan 42 and Sir Roger Moore a rather senior 45. Cavill is the blindingly obvious choice, the one everybody wants and that’s no different from director Sir Christopher Nolan.
Sir Christopher Nolan is a massive Bond fan who wants to reinvent 007 (Image: GETTY/MGM)
The Oscar-winning filmmaker is a self-confessed Bond fanatic and has incorporated many 007 elements into his movies over the years. The best-dressed director in Hollywood has previously teased his desire to helm a “reinvention” of the franchise and rumour has it he could never quite make a deal with the Broccolis as he wanted full creative control himself – something Amazon would likely grant him given his box office prowess.
According to Puck News’ insider, Amazon MGM are expected to give Nolan a call and would be willing to wait a couple of years on him, as he’s currently shooting his take on Homer’s Odyssey starring Matt Damon. Cast Cavill as Bond in a 007 adventure directed by Nolan (perhaps even in an Ian Fleming 1950s period setting) and mark my words you have a billion dollar hit on your hands. Whatever the case, when will we hear? And what about possible naff spin-offs? I spoke with a franchise insider to find out.
The six official former James Bond stars (Image: MGM)
Mark O’Connell is a 007 expert whose grandfather was a chauffeur for producer Cubby Broccoli, Sir Sean Connery and Sir Roger Moore on the Bond movies. The author of Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond fan, which Barbara Broccoli penned a prelude, told us: “It’s a Thunderball being rolled through what everyone expected the next big Bond news to be. And maybe 007’s vodka Martini glass is half full here. By taking one step back in the tuxedo for a sense of context, it’s worth remembering the theatrical and cinema landscape for big tentpole releases is very precarious. The starting grid for big movies is a fearful one. Whilst the Bond captains for the last 64 years are taking a back seat, they are still co-owners. The might and petty cash purse of Amazon MGM Studios is potentially a vital new sibling for Bond. The fears are fair. Do we want to see Blofeld’s culinary tour of Italy or The Moneypenny adventures? The jury is out on that.”
Mark added: “Star Wars has opened out new TV offshoots and story worlds, but not all of them have survived recommissioning and the theatrical legacy of that franchise still feels where it is ultimately at. Before any potential sidebar Bond projects manifest, if they do at all in the way people are fearing, 007 must return. Without a new Bond and the story world and character accoutrements of that new era casting moment there is no spin-offs. It is highly feasible that Amazon MGM Studios will add new momentum to the next Bond anointing. And subsequently the potential movie yield could hold greater frequency. Bond still has great scope for more untold legacy. Its momentum and history is loaded with classics, but they are not wholly bound to the past.”