Entertainment
Henry Cavill’s 2005 James Bond Audition Tape Proved Daniel Craig Was Always the Right Choice
The casting of James Bond is one of the most highly debated subjects among cinephiles, as the character has proven to be among the most long-lasting screen protagonists of all-time. Although Daniel Craig has proven himself to be one of the best actors to ever play 007, it was not an easily-won role, as many young stars were in the fray to inherit the role from Pierce Brosnan after he announced that he would not be returning to make another sequel, after Die Another Day received negative reviews from lifelong Bond fans. A leaked audition tape showed Henry Cavill making a case for himself to play Bond in Casino Royale, but it worked out in everyone’s favor that he did not get the part.
Henry Cavill Wasn’t the Right Fit for ‘Casino Royale’
Cavill was ultimately too young to play Bond, as he was only 22 at the time he auditioned for Casino Royale. While Casino Royale is an adaptation of the first novel in Ian Fleming’s series and is based on the first mission that Bond goes on, it is still established that he is a veteran secret agent who has already earned his license to kill, and earned the respect of M (Judi Dench). While it was Craig’s relative youthfulness that made his interpretation of Bond more empathetic than previous versions, he had already proven himself to be a capable action hero in films like Layer Cake and Munich. One of the best aspects of Bond is that the character is of an ambiguous age; while Roger Moore had grown far too old to play Bond at the end of his run of films, it also would not work to have a fresh-faced 007 who did not look like he had enough worldly experience.
While he does do a good job at delivering some of the most iconic lines that Bond is known for, Cavill’s audition did not indicate that he had a new take on the character. Cavill certainly made a solid case that he could give a performance similar to that of Sean Connery or Timothy Dalton, but Casino Royale was pitched as a much darker, more intense Bond film that stripped away the superficiality of the Brosnan films in favor of a far grittier story that more closely resembled the original source material. Cavill’s optimistic, snarky approach to the role would not have congealed with the direction that Bond goes in Casino Royale, as he starts off as a very cynical character who only begins to open up after the death of Vesper Lyn (Eva Green) shatters his heart. While it is possible that Cavill could have delved into these complexities after he had gained some experience, he would not have suited the role well had he been cast in 2005.
Cavill Will Probably Never Play James Bond
Although he remains a popular choice among fans now that Craig has retired from the role following the release of No Time To Die, Cavill might be too old to play Bond, as he is already 41. Given that Barbara Broccoli has sold her rights of the franchise to Amazon and new director Denis Villeneuve will likely want a younger actor that can feasibly appear in multiple films without aging out of the part, it is far more likely that a younger actor is cast. Cavill is also far too famous to play the role, as he is already widely recognized for his roles in The Witcher and as Superman in the DCEU. The Bond series works best when the main actor is less established at the time they are cast, as the audience does not have any baggage that they bring in when they sit down to see the film.
Despite the fact that a future playing Bond is not in the cards, Cavill has expressed his desire to join the franchise even though he wouldn’t take the title role. Those disappointed that he never got the chance to play 007 should definitely check out The Man From U.N.C.L.E., a remake of the classic television series of the same name in which Cavill plays the American spy Napoleon Solo. Despite the film’s disappointing box office results, Cavill did team up with director Guy Ritchie once more on the adventure film The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and will next be seen in his action thriller In the Grey. He’ll never be Bond, but that doesn’t mean Cavill is done creating iconic characters.
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