Casino Royale director says Henry Cavill could have been James Bond if Daniel Craig didn’t exist

Now that Daniel Craig has stepped down as James Bond, the search for the next incarnation of the secret agent has begun. Henry Cavill has frequently been brought up as a contender for the role, but the actor actually auditioned for James Bond nearly twenty years ago.

While speaking with Express UK, GoldenEye and Casino Royale director Martin Campbell opened up about Henry Cavill’s audition for James Bond. “He looked great in the audition,” Campbell said. “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.” Cavill was in his early 20s at the time, so it’s understandable why the producers didn’t want to go quite that young.

Now that Henry Cavill has hit forty, he’s only two years older than Daniel Craig was when he first played the role. Martin Campbell still thinks that Cavill could pull off a three-film stint. “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,” Campbell said. “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. 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.“

Martin Campbell also spoke about the James Bond audition process. “The way they work with Bond and it’s pretty terrific is when they decide on the actor and you audition – in our case, it was eight people – it’s very democratic,” Campbell explained. “You sit around a table, eight or nine of you. It was myself and the producers, casting director etc etc. And you go through the eight people and you put your hand up as you talk through each person and ultimately everybody has to be unanimous in their decision, if you see what I mean.“

It’s too early to tell if Henry Cavill might still have a shot at Bond, but he does have a spy adventure coming up with Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle, which is set to hit theaters on February 2, 2024.

Would you still like to see Henry Cavill play James Bond?