Henry Cavill replaces The Living Daylights' Timothy Dalton as James Bond in a new 007 deepfake video. Cavill famously auditioned for the role of Bond ahead of Casino Royale and was reportedly in serious contention before Daniel Craig was ultimately chosen.
Craig in the end was obviously the right choice for James Bond as he held down the role for five movies including this year’s era-ending No Time to Die. But now with Craig stepping aside, the role of Bond is once again up for grabs. Certain betting favorites have already emerged in the new race to be Bond, including Tom Hardy, Tom Hopper, Richard Madden, Regé-Jean Page, Mahershala Ali and Idris Elba. No Time to Die’s Lashana Lynch is also thought a contender by some, though Bond producer Barbara Broccoli previously made it clear that there will never be a female lead in a 007 film (Lynch’s Nomi of course took on the designation 007 in No Time to Die but later relinquished it to her predecessor).
And then there’s Cavill who obviously still could get another chance to be Bond and has indeed thrown his hat in the ring for what that’s worth. If Cavill needs a case made for him, a new piece of evidence in his favor has emerged in the form of a just-released deepfake video which sees YouTube creator stryder HD inserting the Superman actor into the Dalton-era Bond film The Living Daylights, finally giving Cavill his chance to be 007. See the clip in the space below:
It’s of course no surprise to see how easily Cavill’s look blends with the old-school James Bond aesthetic. Indeed it’s hard to imagine an actor who more perfectly embodies what the character of 007 has classically been. Of course Cavill’s more “classic” Bond feel was one reason he didn’t get the part in Casino Royale, as producers elected to go for the more unconventional and gritty Craig.
It remains to be seen of course what direction producers will go casting-wise for future James Bond movies. If they elect to pivot back to a more classic concept of Bond, then Cavill might be the favorite. If they elect to stay with a grittier, more Craig-like hero, perhaps Hardy would make sense. And if Eon decides to break with tradition entirely and cast a person of color as Bond, there are already a lot of fan favorites being put forth, including Page, Ali and Elba. Indeed it’s possible Cavill could be far too conventional a choice as Bond and therefore out of the race even before it begins. But even if Cavill doesn’t get his chance to be James Bond for real, he’ll always have his deepfake performance in The Living Daylights to cherish.
Source: stryder HD