Following the surprising news that Amazon has taken full creative control over the James Bond franchise, with long-term producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson stepping back, fans are eager to know who will be the next 007. Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos, sparked a lively discussion on X / Twitter by asking his followers this very question, and the response was overwhelmingly clear.
While names like Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson were mentioned as potential candidates, the fan-favorite choice for the iconic role is none other than Henry Cavill.
AnswerSee ResultsHenry Cavill quickly became a trending topic online, fueled by the enthusiastic support of James Bond fans who believe he is the ideal successor to Daniel Craig. With Amazon now at the helm, speculation about Cavill's chances has intensified, especially given his recent commitment to star in and produce Amazon's eagerly awaited Warhammer 40,000 project. Could this lead to him also taking on the role of 007?
Cavill has a history with the Bond franchise, having auditioned for the role during the casting of 2006's Casino Royale. Director Martin Campbell praised Cavill's audition, calling it "tremendous." However, at the age of 23, Cavill was deemed too young, and the role went to Daniel Craig.
In a 2023 interview with The Express, Campbell reminisced about 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 reflected on the experience 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."
As the search for the next James Bond intensified following Daniel Craig's departure after No Time to Die, Campbell noted, "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 further elaborated on the commitment required, saying, "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. 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."
With Amazon's new direction and Cavill's proven track record, the possibility of seeing him as the next James Bond seems more plausible than ever.
