Jeff Bezos Polls Fans on Next James Bond, Clear Favorite Emerges

In a surprising turn of events, Amazon has assumed full creative control over the iconic James Bond franchise, marking a significant shift as long-standing producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson step aside. This development has sparked a global conversation about who should step into the iconic role of 007, a question that Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos, posed to his followers on X / Twitter.

The response was overwhelmingly clear, with fans vocally advocating for Henry Cavill to be the next James Bond. While other notable actors like Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson were mentioned, Cavill emerged as the fan-favorite.

Following Bezos' tweet, Henry Cavill quickly became a trending topic online, fueled by a passionate fan base eager to see the Superman and Witcher star succeed Daniel Craig as the suave British spy. With Amazon now in charge, speculation is rife about whether Cavill's involvement in Amazon's upcoming Warhammer 40,000 project could pave the way for him to also take on the role of Bond.

Cavill's history with the franchise adds an intriguing layer to this discussion. He famously auditioned for the role in 2006 for "Casino Royale," where director Martin Campbell praised his performance as "tremendous." Despite this, at 23 years old, Cavill was deemed too young, and the role went to Daniel Craig.

In a 2023 interview with The Express, Campbell reflected on Cavill's audition, stating, “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.”

Cavill himself acknowledged the close call in an interview with Josh Horowitz, saying, “It was ultimately down to, and this is what I’ve been told, it was just down to me and Daniel, and I was the younger option. They obviously went with Daniel and I think it was an amazing choice to go with Daniel. I probably wasn’t ready at the time and I think Daniel did an incredible job over the past movies, so I’m happy they made that choice.”

With Daniel Craig's departure after "No Time to Die," the search for the next James Bond intensified. Campbell noted, “By the time Daniel got to [No Time To Die] really he was at an age where one more would have been too old for him.” He also mentioned the typical contract structure, suggesting that actors usually sign on for three films, which could span six years.

At 40 years old, Cavill's age aligns well with this commitment, as Campbell pointed out, “Henry’s 40, so by the time he’s done the third one he’s going to be 50. Anything beyond that’s two, three years per Bond. He’s in good shape Henry, he’s a good guy. He did very well in the audition, but ironically, he was too young.”

As Amazon takes the reins of the James Bond franchise, the possibility of Henry Cavill donning the tuxedo and sipping a martini—shaken, not stirred—has never been more tantalizing.