As the future of the James Bond franchise remains up in the air, Henry Cavill addresses whether he still wants the role. After first hitting the big screen back in the 1960s, the Bond franchise has seen a handful of actors take on the role over the years, including Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and most recently Daniel Craig. Craig starred in a total of five Bond films before bidding farewell to the role with last year's No Time To Die, an explosive final entry that, for the first time in history, ended with the death of 007.
Following the release of No Time To Die, it's unclear who will take on the role of Bond next. A number of names have long been considered front runners to take up the mantle of 007, with Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Tom Hiddleston, Richard Madden, and Cavill being among the most commonly cited. Amid fan calls for Cavill to take on the role, the actor recently revealed that he was actually close to becoming Bond for Casino Royale before the part ultimately went to Craig instead. With Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson previously stating that the next iteration of the iconic British superspy will be a complete reinvention of the character, it's unclear what Cavill's chances now are for the role.
In a recent interview with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast (via CinemaBlend), Cavill addresses whether playing James Bond is something he's still interested in. The actor is notably more in-demand than he was in the early 2000s, when he was first up for 007, but he reveals he's definitely still interested in at least discussing the role. Check out Cavill's full comment below:
Yeah. I’m quite busy now. I love those guys, Barbara [Broccoli] and Mike [G. Wilson]. … Whether I’m considered for the role or not, I don’t know. But it’d be fun to have the conversation, for sure. And if I’m not, then I just want to see what they do with it next, because I think they’re amazing.
Why Henry Cavill Shouldn't Be The Next James Bond
Cavill was, in many ways, the perfect candidate to be the next James Bond, but his career has evolved so much since he was first up for the role that it may no longer be a good fit. While he was a relative unknown in the early 2000s, the release of Man of Steel in 2013 and his continued appearances as Superman essentially rocketed him to global fame and made him a household name. With Broccoli and Wilson having previously stated that they're looking for an actor who can essentially make a 10-year commitment to the role, it's possible that taking on Bond would conflict with his ability to play Superman.
Cavill embodies many of the attributes that make up a more classic version of Bond, but Broccoli and Wilson's desire to reinvent the franchise with James Bond 26 suggests a move away from some of the more traditional elements of the character. Reworking certain elements may actually mean the next Bond film will be better served by a lesser-known actor who hasn't been extensively fan cast in the role already. It remains to be seen how the James Bond franchise will continue to evolve and whether Cavill will be a part of it, but the actor doesn't sound ready to rule out paying 007 just yet.
Source: Josh Horowitz/YouTube (via CinemaBlend)