Matthew Vaughn Dishes On Why He Cast Henry Cavill In Argylle
One look at Henry Cavill is all it takes to understand why director Matthew Vaughn chose to cast the "Man of Steel" star as his world's greatest spy in "Argylle." The guy's got the style, he exudes confidence, and he is British to boot — three of the most important ingredients in making a great secret agent in Vaughn's films.
The filmmaker's "Kingsman" series has become one of the most popular spy franchises in recent years, with there now being three different installments, including a prequel. Vaughn appears to be taking things up a notch with "Argylle," which includes a star-studded cast featuring Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'hara, John Cena, Dua Lipa, and Samuel L. Jackson. The film is based on a yet-to-be-released spy novel titled, "Argylle" from author Ellie Conway.
Recently, Vaughn sat down with The Hollywood Reporter, along with Cavill, to discuss why he chose the cinematic superhero for his latest foray into the world of espionage.
Henry Cavill was 'born' to play Vaughn's version of James Bond
When Matthew Vaughn thought of who was going to play his world greatest spy in "Argylle," he was looking for someone who could not only look the part of a suave British secret agent, but that of the most famous one in Hollywood history — James Bond.
"I needed someone who was born to play Bond, which Henry is, and then nick him before Bond did," Vaughn told THR. "He plays a larger-than-life action hero with a wink." Vaughn had previously described the story behind "Argylle" as one that really struck a chord with him.
"When I read this early draft manuscript I felt it was the most incredible and original spy franchise since Ian Fleming's books of the 50s," he told Deadline back in July. This is going to reinvent the spy genre." It's unclear what Cavill's character will be getting himself into, only that he'll have various adventures stretched across three movies (per Deadline). The films will take place in the US, London and other locations around the world. "It's very different from Kingsman'," Vaughn concluded in his interview with THR.
"Argylle" is expected to be released sometime in 2022, with shooting starting this past August.