Following the surprising announcement of Amazon's acquisition of full creative control over the James Bond franchise, with the departure of long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the question dominating conversations is: who will be the next 007?

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos himself posed this question to his X/Twitter followers, and the response was overwhelmingly clear. While several actors, including Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (a previous frontrunner), received considerable support, Henry Cavill emerged as the clear fan favorite.

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The surge in online support for Cavill following Bezos' tweet highlights the fervent desire among Bond fans to see the Superman and Witcher actor succeed Daniel Craig. This raises speculation about whether Cavill's chances have improved now that Amazon holds the reins. Cavill's involvement in Amazon's highly anticipated Warhammer 40,000 project adds another layer to this intrigue.

It's worth noting that Cavill famously auditioned for the role in 2006's Casino Royale, an audition readily available online. Director Martin Campbell described the audition as "tremendous," but the then 23-year-old Cavill was deemed too young, losing out to Daniel Craig. In a 2023 interview with The Express, Campbell stated that Cavill "looked great" and was a "tremendous" actor, suggesting he would have been an excellent Bond had Craig not been available. Cavill himself acknowledged in an interview with Josh Horowitz that he was likely not ready for the role at the time and praised Craig's performance.

The producers' search for Bond's successor following Craig's departure in No Time to Die is well-documented. Campbell's comments suggest that actors typically commit to three films, a commitment spanning approximately six years. Given Cavill's current age (40), he would be around 50 by the time a potential third film concluded. While Campbell praised Cavill's fitness and performance in the audition, he reiterated that age was the deciding factor back then.