Henry Cavill was considered for the role of James Bond almost twenty years ago, but now that he’s being considered again, there’s a similar problem.

Although the next actor to take over the iconic role of James Bond hasn’t been announced yet, Henry Cavill is among the most popular names in contention.

The actor is best known for playing Superman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel and several subsequent entries in the DCEU, alongside Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s The Witcher.

He’s been in the conversation for James Bond since long before Daniel Craig had even stepped back, with his British charm and charisma making him an ideal choice.

It seemed very likely that Cavill would be cast as Bond in 2022 when he was forced to step back from The Witcher over creative differences, only to find himself also stepping back from the role of Superman just months after making his dramatic return.

Finding himself as the next Bond would’ve been fitting compensation for losing these two iconic characters, but there still hasn’t been any news on that front.

Given the dramatic ending of No Time To Die, it could be a long while before a new James Bond film even finds itself being made.

Henry Cavill Lost Out On Casino Royale Because He Was Too Young For James Bond

Cavill has been very transparent about the fact that he initially lost out on the role of James Bond following his audition for Casino Royale since he was too young.

The actor was in his very early twenties when director Martin Campbell was tasked with finding the next Bond, and while he was impressed with Cavill’s performance, he ultimately wanted somebody older and more experienced to take over the role – so it went to Daniel Craig, who carried the franchise forward through five more entries before stepping down in 2021.

Casting a younger actor to play Bond would’ve been an interesting decision for Casino Royale, but Campbell has since admitted that he wanted to bring somebody who fit all the criteria of James Bond while still doing something fresh and new.

Craig was a fairly unknown actor at the time, not really fitting the physical description of Bond from the books and previous films, but the age was something that Campbell wanted to keep similar. Otherwise, Cavill would’ve had a serious chance.

Henry Cavill Is Now Too Old For The New James Bond

In a cruel and ironic twist of fate, many are now opposed to the idea of Cavill taking over Bond because he’s too old.

While the actor has only just entered his forties, it’s important to think about how long he’d be holding onto this role.

If he stuck around for fifteen years, like Craig, Cavill would be closely approaching his sixties when his final movie came out.

James Bond needs to be reinvented following Craig’s exit, so casting another older actor in the role probably wouldn’t please those fans who want to see something new from the classic movie series.

Of course, there have been examples of actors adopting the James Bond mantle for shorter periods of time, with George Lazenby famously playing 007 in just one project.

This would be an effective way of giving Cavill the opportunity he deserves without forcing him to stick around until Bond’s in his late fifties.

Why Henry Cavill Would’ve Been A Great James Bond, Even If It Can’t Happen Now

Although certain audiences still want to see Cavill bring an older and more refined spin to the character, it’s very unlikely that he’s going to be cast at this point.

But that doesn’t mean that Cavill wouldn’t have been a great Bond when the time was right, perhaps even when he initially auditioned for Casino Royale.

Casting a much younger Bond would’ve been a bold decision for Campbell, but it would’ve brought a completely new atmosphere to the franchise and allowed the storytellers to explore a different era in Bond’s life.

Cavill would’ve been the perfect candidate, maintaining his youth while bringing a more refined charisma to the character.

Unfortunately, the best time for Cavill to adopt the mantle of James Bond would’ve been at the height of Craig’s tenure, which was sadly impossible.

Craig wouldn’t have wanted to step back early, but as time passed and Craig continued making Bond movies, the chances of Cavill succeeding him just grew smaller and smaller.

It’s a shame that audiences will likely never see the actor’s suave, charismatic take on the international spy, but there’s still a chance that he’ll get to play the character somehow.