Henry Cavill Reveals Whether He'd Ever Play James Bond

The time fast approaches for studio executives to pick a new James Bond — a Hollywood tradition almost as old as the industry itself.

Henry Cavill, like most people, would be happy to play James Bond. This is not conjecture, ladies and gentlemen, nor some childish flight of fantasy. We now know, with all the certainty afforded by a GQ interview, that the occasional Kryptonian and sometimes Witcher would cheerfully take up the mantle of 007 in exchange for any coin that's tossed his way. Minus his agent's fee, of course. 

The one-on-one, which also covered topics ranging from Henry Cavill's gaming computer to Henry Cavill's gaming miniatures, eventually turned to the question on every patriotic Englishman's mind: With Bond-adjacent roles in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Mission Impossible: Fallout now under his belt, would Cavill pick up the phone and take a call from MI-6? His response: "If (the producers) were interested in that, I would absolutely jump at the opportunity. At this stage, it's all up in the air. We'll see what happens. But yes, I would love to play Bond, it would be very, very exciting." With recent shakeups at DC and the imminent departure of Bond incumbent Daniel Craig, the timing couldn't be better, but only time will tell whether an Aston Martin lies in Cavill's immediate future.

Cavill's journey from unknown actor who wanted to play James Bond to well-known actor who wants to play James Bond has been a long one. In a 2019 interview with Men's Health, he recalled auditioning for the role at 22, and the surprisingly forthright reason he was given for not landing the part. "I remember the director, Martin Campbell, saying, 'Looking a little chubby there, Henry,'" Cavill said. "I didn't know how to train or diet. And I'm glad Martin said something, because I respond well to truth. It helps me get better." The part would eventually go to Daniel Craig who, ironically, has since revealed how badly he wanted to play Superman.

Traditionally, 007 has been portrayed by actors in their 30s, 40s, and in Roger Moore's later entries, mid-300s, so a James Bond just four years out of high school would have been a shocking departure from the norm. But with Daniel Craig gleefully exiting the franchise and Cavill now 37, it might just be the right time for him to ditch his tights and throw on a nice Armani tuxedo.

Current fan frontrunners for the part of England's least insurable secret agent are varied and numerous. For years, fans and critics have been lobbying for Idris Elba to take over the role, though at 48, he would beat Roger Moore for the title of "oldest first-time Bond." Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender, and Tom Hiddleston have all been floated as potential candidates as well, while speculation that a female 007 could be on the way remains a persistent point of internet fascination. 

We'll just have to wait and see which direction the franchise overlords decide to go.