Henry Cavill’s James Bond Dream Comes Back From The Dead

An unexpected twist.

Henry Cavill’s James Bond Dream Comes Back From The Dead

Image Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images

You’d think he’d be a natural candidate to be the next James Bond – but it turns out that Henry Cavill might actually be our next dastardly Bond villain instead…


The 39-year-old British actor, who’s long been tipped to take up the mantle of the famous fictional spy, is apparently in negotiations to play the villain role against a yet unknown Bond in the first post-Daniel Craig 007 adventure, Giant Freaking Robot reports.

Movie fans will remember that Cavill previously played the moustached, double-fist-reloading villain August Walker in Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018), in which he gave Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt a fight for his life. He also played professional thief-turned-CIA agent Napoleon Solo in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015).

Cavill had long been in the running to play Bond after Craig’s departure, with the Man of Steel actor previously close to being cast in the famed role that eventually went to Craig.

“They told me that it was just down to me and Daniel [Craig] and I was the younger option,” said Cavill in an interview with entertainment reporter Josh Horowitz.

“Obviously it went to Daniel and it was an amazing choice, and I probably wasn’t ready at the time. I think Daniel did an incredible job over the past few movies so I’m happy they made that choice. It was a fun adventure at the time, and it definitely gave me a boost to my career”.

Henry Cavill

When reminded that the producers of Bond are currently looking for an actor in their 30s to play the role, the 39-year-old Cavill quipped “they haven’t got much time!”

Dua Lipa and Henry Cavill in Argylle (2023). Image: Apple TV+

It was previously speculated that Cavill might be out of the running for Bond when he was cast in Argylle, an upcoming espionage thriller in which Cavill will play an amnesia-suffering super-spy who is tricked into believing he is a best-selling spy novelist. When his memories and lethal skills return, he swears revenge against the shadowy organisation he used to work for.

Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman: The Secret Service) and featuring an all-star cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard and pop star Dua Lipa, Argylle will premiere on Apple TV+ later this year, with the streaming giant paying $200 million for the rights to the as yet unpublished book series written by elusive author Elly Conway.  

While there has been no official announcement regarding Cavill being cast in the next James Bond movie in any capacity, it sure is an interesting twist in the who-will-play-James Bond sweepstakes.