Following the surprising announcement of Amazon's acquisition of full creative control over the James Bond franchise, with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson stepping aside, the burning question is: who will be the next 007?

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos 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 mentions, Henry Cavill emerged as the clear fan favorite.

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Bezos's tweet quickly propelled Henry Cavill to trending status, fueled by numerous James Bond fans advocating for the Superman and Witcher actor to succeed Daniel Craig.

Speculation now centers on whether Cavill's chances have improved with Amazon's involvement. Cavill is already committed to starring in and producing Amazon's highly anticipated Warhammer 40,000 adaptation. Could a Bond role be next?

Cavill famously auditioned for the role in 2006's Casino Royale (footage is 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, "He looked great in the audition. His acting was tremendous. And look, if Daniel didn’t exist, Henry would have made an excellent Bond." Cavill himself, in an interview with Josh Horowitz, acknowledged he was likely too young at the time and praised Craig's performance.

The search for Craig's successor has been ongoing since No Time to Die. Campbell noted that actors typically commit to three Bond films, a timeframe that would place Cavill, now 40, around 50 by the end of a potential trilogy. While acknowledging Cavill's suitability, Campbell reiterated that age was a factor in his previous rejection.