The history of the James Bond movies has been both a past and present concern for Henry Cavill, as he’s been one of the hottest tipped candidates for the role for two cycles now. Casino Royale director Martin Campbell’s reason for not casting Cavill was simply that the Witcher star just looked too young for the part. In revisiting that story for a recent event, Campbell has now expanded upon it to explain why one of the most popular potential 007s has had really tough luck when trying to land the role.
Casino Royale’s Casting Process, And Why Henry Cavill Lost Out
As he was present at this year’s London Action Festival (via Express), Martin Campbell once again addressed the fact that Henry Cavill was one of the eight actors screen tested to be the sixth James Bond. Reflecting on that Casino Royale audition once more, Campbell had this to say:
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.
With the 00-Cavill hype train gaining steam yet again during the waning years of Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies, this story has come up time and again in the press. Longtime Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams also confirmed Henry’s youthful disadvantage, which apparently isn’t a problem anymore. Sadly, it feels that the polar opposite scenario is in play now, with Henry Cavill seeming to have a new stumbling block.
How Casting The Next James Bond Doesn’t Favor Henry Cavill, According To Martin Campbell
Age is always a factor in the 007 saga, as being too young or too old are equally weighted problems. Henry Cavill now sees himself seemingly outside the 30-something age range that the series is currently considering. Beginning to lay out why this is a problem, Martin Campbell dug back into the histories of the two Bonds he’s worked with, Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan, to craft this scenario:
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. I think they sign on for three Bonds, I’m not absolutely 100 per cent certain of that. I know with Pierce 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.
All signs seem to point at EON Productions aiming for a long haul 007 that can bring the series back to a more regular release schedule. So just the right amount of youth is key, while also being mindful of how hopefuls like Henry Cavill, who just turned 40 this year, lost out on Casino Royale. Further invoking his example above, Martin Campbell concluded his argument against Cavill’s chances with this statement:
Henry’s 40, so by the time he’s done the third one he’s going to be 50 and 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.
Cavill’s feelings on potentially playing James Bond take this reality into account, but if called upon, the man sounds absolutely up for the job. At this point, it’s still a question of what path the next 007 adventure will be, as producer Barbara Broccoli herself recently said that without a script, casting can’t really begin.
Between that concern, as well as the ongoing writer’s strike, the intended 2024 production of Bond 26 might find itself delayed to an uncertain extent. Fans who want to see Henry Cavill as James Bond will have to temper their expectations, as the odds certainly look to be in question. That doesn’t mean that Cavill’s exploits in espionage aren’t still a going concern thanks to his Apple original film Argylle being slated on the schedule of 2024 new movie releases for a February 2nd release date.
