Henry Cavill’s 007 audition was great,” according to Casino Royale manager Martin Campbell.
During an interview with The Express, the filmmaker revealed new details about Cavill’s 007 screen test.
“He looked great in the audition,” he said. “His acting was terrific. And look, if Daniel didn’t exist, Henry would have made a great Bond. He looked awesome, he was in great physical shape… very handsome, very chiseled. He just had the looked a bit young back then.
Famously, Cavill narrowly missed out on the role of 007 when casting for the 2006 hit Casino Royale took place. The role, of course, went to Daniel Craig. However, Campbell thinks Cavill just missed his time playing the iconic British super spy. At the time, Cavill was only 23, so his casting would have made him the youngest Bond yet.
“It was ultimately down to, and that’s what I was told, it was just me and Daniel, and I was the younger option,” Cavill said in an interview with Josh. Horowitz. “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 amazing job on the previous films, so I’m glad they made that choice.
It’s no secret that the producers of 007 are now on the hunt for the next James Bond after Daniel Craig left the franchise with No Time to Die. Could Cavill now play Bond? “By the time Daniel came to (No Time To Die), he was really at an age where one more would have been too old for him,” Campbell said. “I think they signed for three bonds, I’m not absolutely 100% certain of that. I know with Pierce (Brosnan) he must have signed three when we did. So that is going to take, what, six years of your life maybe? I suspect Daniel (had) the same deal. And the next one is going to have to do that.
“Henry is 40 so by the time he’s finished third he’ll be 50. Beyond that it’s two, three years by Bond. He’s fit Henry, he’s a good guy. He has did very well in the audition, but ironically he was too young.
The next Bond film is said to be a “complete re-imagining” of the series and producers are reported to be looking for someone younger, ideally in their 30s.
IGN’s Casino Royale review gave it 9/10 and said: “The point of Fleming’s story has always been how Bond, after suffering at the hands of Le Chiffre, then facing pain again bigger later realizes his place in the world and that he must go after the threat behind the threat. In other words, James Bond literally and figuratively gets his balls back, and that testicular strength is exactly what this franchise of 44 year old needs for many years now.
Want to know more about James Bond? Find out why some 007 favorites may be too old to play James Bond and why John Williams would love to score a Bond movie.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment reporter and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.