For the past couple of months, it appears that the next James Bond has settled on Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Of course, there has been no confirmation from Johnson or Barbara Broccoli, so anything can change. That includes Henry Cavill turning out to be the man who becomes 007. All hope seemed lost on Superman becoming the face of the next generation until a recent trailer showcasing Henry Cavill as James Bond sparked fans instruction in seeing the 40-year-old take over the iconic role.
The trailer is actually a fake using AI technology, but it’s a pretty darn good one. Cavill has seen the trailer himself and the actor was also impressed. However, it doesn’t appear that he has much interest in playing the role these days since Cavill has stated that he’s too old to play Bond now.
The Brief History Of James Bond
The notion of that Cavill is too old is quite silly when you look at the history of James Bond. The youngest actor to play James Bond was George Lazenby (29). The rest of the Bond actors ranged from 31 to 45. In fact, Casino Royale director Martin Campbell stated that the reason that Cavill wasn’t chosen for Bond was due to the fact that he was too young. Now Cavill could simply saying this to get audience off his scent that he is the next Bond.
The Aaron Taylor-Johnson casting has yet to be confirmed. Plus, it the producers of the Bond series clearly likes their Bond characters in the mid to older range. This isn’t to say that you can’t make a story out of a young James Bond. In fact, that’s one big way to depart from the series is by giving focus on Bond during his early years as a spy. However, focusing on a young James Bond isn’t necessary. There’s a reason why Barbara Broccoli has focused on a certain age range for Bond and that clearly hasn’t changed all too much.
The history of James Bond tells you that Cavill is far from too old playing the iconic character. Craig started at the age of 38 and finished when he was 51. Cavill is still a viable candidate for 007.
Henry Cavill Has Proven His Skills In Films Like James Bond
On the surface, it kind of a head scratcher that Henry Cavill isn’t a shoo-in for the role. Granted, there were talks that names like Idris Elba or Tom Hardy were in the running, who also strong candidates as well. In terms of Cavill, he’s proven more that he can excel in action roles that are similar to James Bond.
It’s not just his experience in the DCEU films, but The Man From U.N.C.L.E, Mission Impossible: Fallout, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare are great examples of his swagger and prowess in this genre. His fight scenes were especially great in Fallout as Cavill felt like a natural in such a role. Even his Enola Holmes movies where he plays Sherlock Holmes displays his charisma and charm in a detective role.
There is one downside to Cavill, he doesn’t particularly have the acting prowess of Elba, Hardy, or even Aaron Taylor-Johnson. These actors have a diverse portfolio that showcases there ranges as a performer. Cavill seems to branching out into that direction, which is a great thing. However, we still don’t have a clue on what the producers are looking in the new James Bond. Though Cavill clearly has the look to pass as 007, they may feel that his performance may not be suited for the role.
Is Henry Cavill A Good Choice For James Bond?
This is a tricky question because it’s unclear what story Barbara Broccoli wants to tell for the next Bond. The evolution of the character has been evident with each new actor; Daniel Craig’s version was more of an emotional journey that humanized that character a lot more. Cavill clearly has the looks for James Bond. But if the story they’re trying to tell won’t showcase him in the best light then it’s better that he’s not the next James Bond.
Besides, Cavill doesn’t particularly need to role at this point. He’s still a viable name in the action genre and continue to make his mark within it. It would be nice to see him diverse his filmography that goes against the other roles he’s taken so far as realistically speaking, he doesn’t standout from the names listed above. He looks good and has charisma, but James Bond needs that special something (in terms of performance) that makes him different from every other traditional spy.
Follow Us
