Hollywood’s chance opportunities of crowning an actor with the role they will always be remembered for have been few and far between. And yet, those perfect pairings have defined not only the actors but the legacy they leave behind on and off the screen. For Henry Cavill, that role has been as Geralt of Rivia aka the Witcher. But, if the timing was right, the Brit could have very well played the immortal Bond instead of his contemporary, Daniel Craig, in the best cinematic run of the literary character to date.
Henry Cavill Will Never Be James Bond, Confirms Producer
When there exists a tone of finality or ultimatum to an issue that is arguably at the center of mass attention, the issue becomes even more attractive for its nature of being forbidden. What happened in the recent past with the end of the DC Extended Universe that has been ubiquitously dubbed as the Snyderverse or the sudden casting of Liam Hemsworth as the Witcher – both projects which coincidentally have Henry Cavill at the heart of the matter – is proof of how a subject that becomes forbidden to the masses simultaneously also becomes a very attractive thing to consider, especially for how Cavill has been considered the victim and the martyr in both cases.
However, these are not the only times when chance and opportunity played a role in removing Cavill from the chessboard. In 2005, the casting call for one of the most coveted roles in the industry, James Bond, had begun in the aftermath of Pierce Brosnan‘s end of tenure as the super spy in 2002. As it has been retold countless times, the race was down to the final two contestants: Daniel Craig and Henry Cavill. And the director, who was present at the time of the casting process, despite claiming that he “did very well in the audition” was also a little too young and green for the role.
007 Director Negates Henry Cavill’s Chances in the Bond Odd
Henry Cavill’s chances in the Bond Odds may currently be very favorable for the actor but when it comes to the filmmakers involved with the making of the 007 films, the verdict is evidently very different. Director Martin Campbell who helmed two James Bond films, GoldenEye (1995) and Casino Royale (2006), later said about Cavill:
He looked great in the audition. His acting was tremendous. And look, if Daniel didn’t exist Henry would have made an excellent Bond. He looked terrific, he was in great physical shape… very handsome, very chiselled. He just looked a little young at that time back then.
[Now] Henry’s 40, so by the time he’s done the third one he’s going to be 50 and anything beyond that’s two, three years per Bond. He’s in good shape Henry, he’s a good guy. He did very well in the audition, but ironically he was too young.
The irony is indeed very strong. The actor who was too young (22) to play Bond but made it to the final round of competitions against Daniel Craig now becomes the most favored and coveted contestant for the role but is too old to do so. As Cavill steadily moves more toward the world of gaming to live-action adaptations, his deal with Amazon Studios marks an enviable partnership that may very well be the start of a multimillion-dollar Warhammer Cinematic Universe.
Henry Cavill’s The Witcher is available for streaming on Netflix.
Source: Express UK
