With several A-listers being rumored to carry the iconic mantle of James Bond forward after Daniel Craig, Henry Cavill came out as the obvious fan-favorite for the role. Considering that he was the runner-up to Craig back in 2005 for the iconic role and meets all the attributes to deliver the perfect iteration of 007, it’s reasonable to see why fans have been wanting to see him in the role.
However, despite being at the frontline of the role for a while, the remaining hopes of witnessing Cavill as 007 might be lost due to the same reason he was axed from the role of Superman.
Henry Cavill’s age might not allow him to become the next James Bond
With the Man of Steel star entering his 40s, the possibilities regarding him starring as James Bond seem to be wearing off. Although Henry Cavill is fully capable of pulling off the role of 007 following his performance in The Man from U.N.C.L.E, his age might be a major setback in the actor’s path of garnering the role. According to James Bond Producer Michael G. Wilson, they want the next Bond to be in his prime years and are looking for an actor in his thirties. He said,
”We’ve tried looking at younger people in the past. But trying to visualize it doesn’t work. Remember, Bond’s already a veteran. He’s had some experience. He’s a person who has been through the wars, so to speak. He’s probably been in the SAS or something. He isn’t some kid out of high school that you can bring in and start off. That’s why it works for a thirty-something.”
Although, it seems that not only Henry Cavill, but other actors who are in their 20s are also out of the race. It appears that the studios did initially look at the option of casting a younger Bond.
The casting director of James Bond reveals why they aren’t considering young actors for the role
Although it seems that actors in their 40s might no longer be the favorites for the role, before they settled down to the conclusion of casting actors in their thirties, they did consider young stars for the role. Debbie McWilliams, who has been the casting director in Bond films for over 4 decades, explained that they initially tried to go down the route of hiring a younger actor, but eventually dropped the idea. She explained the reasoning behind their decision by stating,
“When we started, it was a slightly different feel. We did look at a lot of younger actors. and I just don’t think they had the gravitas, they didn’t have the experience, they didn’t have the mental capacity to take it on, because it’s not just the part they’re taking on, it’s a massive responsibility. So we kind of scrubbed that idea and went back to the drawing board and started again.”
Although Henry Cavill might no longer be the favorite for taking the legacy of the iconic IP forward, Debbie McWilliams assured that the next James Bond will simply be “who’s best for the part”.
Source: Deadline
