Denis Villeneuve is eying to embark on the next Bond casting after wrapping up his commitments to Dune 3, slated to release next year. Deadline confirmed the Sicario star is indeed searching for a British actor, as most imagined, for the gig. Moreover, the director is reportedly looking for a fresh face to carry the 007 mantle in his iteration of Bond.
Not only does this mean that fans won’t be hearing about the next actor to play Bond until next year, but this criterion would rule out the majority of fan-favorites, including Henry Cavill, who has been dominating Bond discussions for years.
Henry Cavill Doesn’t Fit the Bill for Denis Villeneuve’s Bond
Even though Cavill has gone on to earn massive recognition in other prominent IPs after losing the Bond role to Daniel Craig, this didn’t stop fans from campaigning for the Man of Steel star’s 007. Although hopes surged amid the regime change as the previous producers were apparently seeking a younger and relatively unknown face for the Bond, Villeneuve’s approach seems to have put those hopes to rest, again.
Given Cavill’s career trajectory, which includes Man of Steel, The Witcher, and Mission: Impossible, his A-list stature and age don’t align with Villeneuve’s reported vision, who is reportedly eying a fresh face. The Man of Steel star himself has acknowledged the prospect of his age factoring into the Bond race in the past, adding (via The Rich Eisen Show):
Maybe I’m too old now or maybe I’m not. We’ll see what the [producers’] plans are.
From everything we know so far, Cavill, alongside other major fan-casting, is out of the race, at least according to recent revelations.
Denis Villeneuve’s James Bond Could Be Arriving Sooner Than Expected
While the casting update is undoubtedly a bummer for fans who were campaigning for Cavill’s Bond, for fans of 007, it could signal that the movie might arrive sooner than expected.
Considering the IP has been sitting idle since No Time to Die, likely due to the previous creative dispute between Amazon and Barbara Broccoli, who eventually parted ways, it seems things could finally pick up pace.
Given Villeneuve’s admiration for the franchise, it makes sense that after Dune 3, he won’t waste time getting the ball rolling on the Bond movie (via Comingsoon.net).
I was raised with James Bond. I love James Bond movies. I would love to do a James Bond movie one day. Action is very cinematic. I’m not someone that loves dialogue – I am someone that loves movement. Action, if it’s well done, can be very poetic and meaningful.
Although the potential release window for the movie is as good as anyone’s guess, a casting announcement could be coming our way next year, hopefully.
Drop your pick for the next James Bond below!
