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

Following the surprising announcement that Amazon has assumed full creative control over the James Bond franchise, with long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson stepping back, the burning question remains: who should be the next 007?

Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos, took to X/Twitter to pose this very question to his followers, and the response was overwhelmingly clear.

While names like Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (who was previously rumored to be a top contender) were suggested, the fan-favorite choice emerged as Henry Cavill.

Soon after Bezos' tweet, Henry Cavill became a trending topic online, fueled by the enthusiastic support of James Bond fans eager to see the Superman and Witcher star step into the iconic role vacated by Daniel Craig.

With Amazon now at the helm, speculation is rife about whether Cavill's chances of becoming the next 007 have improved. His recent commitment to star in and produce Amazon's much-anticipated Warhammer 40,000 project adds fuel to the fire. Could this pave the way for him to also take on the role of Bond?

Cavill's history with the franchise is well-documented. He famously auditioned for the role of James Bond during the casting for 2006's Casino Royale, an audition that director Martin Campbell described as "tremendous." Despite his strong performance, the then-23-year-old Cavill was deemed too young, and the role went to Daniel Craig.

In a 2023 interview with The Express, Campbell praised 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 reflected on the experience 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."

As the search for the next James Bond intensified following Daniel Craig's departure after No Time to Die, the question of Cavill's suitability remains pertinent. 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. I think they sign on for three Bonds, I’m not absolutely 100% certain of that. I know with Pierce [Brosnan] he had to sign on to three when we did him. So, that’s going to take, what, six years of your life maybe? I suspect Daniel [had] the same deal. And the next guy’s going to have to do that."

He continued, "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."