In a surprising turn of events, Amazon has assumed full creative control over the iconic James Bond franchise, with long-standing producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson stepping aside. This shift has sparked widespread speculation and excitement about who will step into the shoes of the legendary 007 following Daniel Craig's departure.

Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos, took to X / Twitter to engage fans directly, asking them who they envision as the next James Bond. The response was overwhelmingly clear: Henry Cavill emerged as the fan-favorite, overshadowing other notable contenders such as Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Following Bezos' tweet, Henry Cavill quickly became a trending topic online, fueled by enthusiastic support from James Bond fans eager to see the Superman and Witcher star take on the role. This surge in popularity has led to speculation about whether Cavill's chances of becoming 007 have improved, especially considering his recent involvement with Amazon's upcoming Warhammer 40,000 project.

Cavill's history with the Bond franchise is well-documented. He auditioned for the role during the casting of Casino Royale in 2006, an audition that director Martin Campbell described as "tremendous." Despite his impressive performance, Cavill was ultimately passed over in favor of Daniel Craig, primarily due to his youthful appearance at the age of 23.

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, noting, "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 exit after No Time to Die, the search for the next James Bond has been ongoing. Campbell added context to the timeline, saying, "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."

Considering Cavill's current age of 40, Campbell noted, "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 helm of the James Bond franchise, the anticipation around Henry Cavill's potential casting continues to grow, promising an exciting new chapter for the beloved series.