Henry Cavill is a fan favorite to take on the role of James Bond after Daniel Craig stepped down from the role. Many fans knew that he competed with Craig for the role back when Pierce Brosnan exited the role. However, he is still being overlooked for the role, as Amazon is reportedly eyeing another younger actor for the role.
According to World of Reel, the studio is “quietly pushing for Jacob Elordi as a contender.” A source told the outlet that Elordi will take a screen test next year, which includes a tuxedo fit and action scenes. It was reported that a final decision will be taken by mid-2026, with substantial input from director Denis Villeneuve.
Earlier, Deadline‘s Baz Bamigboye reported that Villeneuve was looking for young “unknown” British actors for the role. The new report goes directly against Deadline’s report, as Elordi is far from an unknown actor, and he is Australian.
Fans of the Man of Steel actor are happy with neither of these reports. It appears that Cavill could be pushed out of the role in favor of a younger actor in the role. Moreover, Cavill’s projects after the DCEU have been underwhelming, and several of his announced projects have gone nowhere. These factors appear to have impacted his star value a bit.
Why Fans Prefer Henry Cavill in the New James Bond Role?
After Amazon MGM Studios took the creative control of James Bond from Eon Productions, Jeff Bezos asked fans on X for their favorite casting choice. Fans came up with several names, from Tom Hardy to Aaron Taylor-Johnson. But the most popular pick was obvious. Fans wanted Henry Cavill in the role.
When Daniel Craig first beat Cavill to the role, the latter was deemed too young to play the role. An audition footage from 2005 saw Cavill saying the iconic “Bond, James Bond” line. Interestingly, Casino Royale director Martin Campbell found The Witcher actor’s audition to be “tremendous”.
Campbell shared that while Cavill was in great physical shape for the role, he looked a little young for it. He told Express UK at the time:
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 chiseled. He just looked a little young at that time back then.
During Argylle‘s promotion, Matthew Vaughn revealed that Campbell preferred Cavill in the role, but Barbara Broccoli had other plans. He shared, “I know that the director preferred your audition, but Barbara preferred [Daniel Craig’s 2004 film] Layer Cake” (via SiriusXM). He added that the producer decided that Cavill was too young for the role.
Cavill has already shown his spy skills in Guy Ritchie’s films, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Moreover, he has a clear vision for James Bond. During an interview with Interview Magazine, he shared how he loved a mix of Sean Connery’s coolness and Daniel Craig’s intensity. He shared:
Well, I just loved the coolness of Connery’s Bond. He just sort of oozes cool. And Craig was very real and powerful—you could practically smell the danger on him. There was a danger to Connery’s Bond, too, but sort of at his leisure.
Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show last year, Cavill expressed his interest in the role. He shared, “Maybe I’m too old now, maybe I’m not. It’s up to Barbara Broccoli and Mike Wilson and we’ll see what their plans are.” For all these reasons, fans are backing the Superman actor to play the lead in Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming film.
Other Actors Who Are Being Considered By Amazon for James Bond
Besides Denis Villeneuve, Amazon has also found a writer for the next James Bond iteration, reportedly coming out in 2028. Steven Knight of Peaky Blinders fame is reportedly writing a first draft of the script. In June 2025, Variety listed Amazon’s wishlist of actors whom they want to appear in the titular role in their movie.
The wishlist included three actors under the age of 30. Jacob Elordi appeared in this list alongside Spider-Man actor Tom Holland and Babygirl fame Harris Dickinson. While all three actors are great choices, this is bad news for other contenders above 30, including Cavill.
While Amazon is reportedly pushing for a younger actor now, it goes against the wishes of James Bond‘s earlier producers, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Explaining it at a BFI event in September 2022, Wilson shared that they had considered younger people in the past for the role.
However, it did not work since Bond has always been conceived as a seasoned veteran with years of field and wartime experience. Wilson shared at the event (via Deadline):
We’ve tried looking at younger people in the past. But trying to visualise 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.
Villeneuve got the job after Amazon considered several other reputed names. Other filmmakers considered include Edward Berger, Edgar Wright, Paul King, Jonathan Nolan, and Alfonso Cuarón. Villeneuve will now work on the film after completing Dune 3 for Warner Bros.
What do you think of Henry Cavill’s chances to play James Bond? Let us know in the comments below!
The James Bond films are now available for streaming on MGM+.
