One of the biggest questions that's been asked in Hollywood as of late is: who will be the next James Bond? Since Daniel Craig confirmed he was done with the role, the fan debates and the odds makers have been discussing the question. With all of the upheaval surrounding the James Bond franchise, it seems that there may not have been much official discussion yet regarding who might be the new Bond, but one expert thinks there’s a very good reason why Henry Cavill may have the inside track.
Author Mark O’Connell is something of a Bond expert, having written books about the character in the past. Speaking with the New York Post, he suggests that Cavill is the man to beat for the role for the simple reason that he almost landed the role once already. It’s something of a tradition for actors who are passed over once to get cast the next time around. He said…
What often happens in Bond is that the runner-up is kind of favored next time round. Roger Moore was looked at for Dr. No in the first Bond film. Timothy Dalton was looked at in the early ’70s.
This is certainly true as far as it goes. Pierce Brosnan also belongs on the “second time’s a charm list.” He was all set to take the role after Roger Moore stepped down, only to have to drop out due to other commitments. While that may have ended his chances to ever play a different role, it simply came back to him later when he was available.
Director Martin Campbell, who helmed Casino Royale and was part of the team that chose Daniel Craig, has spoken about how close Henry Cavill was to be cast back years ago. It’s difficult to imagine that he isn’t a major contender for the role right now.
That said, it should be pointed out that there’s a major reason that previous patterns may not play out this time around. All previous James Bonds were chosen by Eon Productions, first overseen by producer Albert R. Broccoli, and then by his daughter, Barbara. Now, Amazon MGM Studios has complete creative control over the franchise. While Eon, who is still involved, might very well lean toward the actor it didn’t pick last time, if Amazon doesn’t agree, it’s not happening.
The next James Bond movie is in the works, though it's in its earliest stages. There isn’t a script yet, as far as we know, and it seems unlikely that any casting will be discussed until all parties involved have figured out just what sort of Bond movie is being made. Maybe Henry Cavill, who was deemed too young to play Bond last time around, will be too old by the time they get around to actually filming.
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