Henry Cavill has admitted he’s still “very, very” eager to play one of the most iconic British movie characters of all time, suave spy James Bond, once Daniel Craig steps aside after the release of No Time to Die later this year.
Cavill is no stranger to playing iconic roles. The Englishman, 37, has already had a stint in the blue and red of DC’s man of steel, Superman, and brought Polish fantasy hero Geralt of Rivia to life in Netflix’s latest smash-hit, The Witcher.
He still has his eyes set on the UK’s biggest role though: James Bond.
It’s no secret Cavill has been enamored by the chance to play the 007 agent at least once in his career. The 37-year-old was actually in the running to take up the mantle all the way back in the mid-2000s, before he lost out to Daniel Craig.
Now, Craig’s tenure — which began after Cavill was warned he was “too chubby” to play the iconic British spy — appears to be at an end. No Time To Die marks the franchise’s 25th flick, and Craig will be out the door after its November release.
Henry Cavill has spotted his chance. 15 years after he was cut from the running in the final stage of casting, the Superman superstar has put his hand up for the role once again: “I’d love to play Bond.”
“If Barbara [Broccoli, lead Bond producer] and Mike [G. Wilson, co-producer] were interested in that, I would absolutely jump at the opportunity,” Cavill said.
“At this stage, it’s all very up in the air,” the star told GQ on Sep. 24. “We’ll see what happens. But yes, I would love to play Bond. It would be very, very exciting.”
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Funnily enough, Cavill just ticked another huge British iconic off his list; this month, the release of Millie Bobby Brown’s ‘Enola Holmes’ saw him play Sherlock. He was cast in the role back in early 2019. What’s next for Cavill, Doctor Who?
Craig’s James Bond swan song, “No Time To Die,” is expected to be released worldwide on November 12. The British spy’s 25th outing was originally set for an early April premiere. It was delayed, however, due to the shock global closure of movie theatres.
Daniel Craig has now become the longest-serving James Bond, after 14 years as the iconic character. He first debuted in Casino Royale in mid-2006. Only Sean Connery (6) and Roger Moore (7) have appeared as James Bond more times.
Eon has already begun their hunt for the next Bond behind the scenes. Cavill is one name on the list. Tom Hiddleston, Richard Madden, Tom Hardy, and even Harry Styles are all rumored to be in the running, as is popular fan-pick Idris Elba.
Multiple publications have also tipped Tom Hardy as a possible successor to the Bond tuxedo, though not everyone is sold on those casting rumors.
Once Craig hangs up the mantle, expect Eon to spend some serious time looking for the seventh man to play Ian Flemming’s famous spy on-screen. ‘James Bond 26’ won’t be released until at least 2024, so there’s plenty of time yet.
