New footage of Henry Cavill’s 2006 screen test for James Bond (007) has been released. Cavill lost the role to Daniel Craig, but Casino Royale director Martin Campbell said his audition was “huge” and that he “would have been 007 if Daniel Craig hadn’t existed.”
On YouTube, the channel Ron South has shared footage of Cavill’s audition tape for Casino Royale. Watch the clip below.
The main reason Cavill didn’t get the role of James Bond in 2006 was his age—he was only 22 at the time. Since the ideal age for playing Bond is between 30 and 40, Daniel Craig, who was 37, was considered a better fit for the role.
In an interview (via Deadline), Martin Campbell said, “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.”
Campbell explained the casting process, saying, “The way they work with Bond, and it’s pretty terrific, is when they decide on the actor and you audition — in our case, it was eight people — it’s very democratic.”
“You sit around a table, eight or nine of you. It was myself, the producers, the casting director, etc. You go through the eight candidates, discuss each one, and raise your hand. Ultimately, the decision has to be unanimous, if you see what I mean.”
Cavill is still rumored to be in the running for the next 007. He starred as Superman in 2013’s Man of Steel and reprised his role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017), and its director’s cut, Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021). He also played Geralt of Rivia in Seasons 1–3 of Netflix’s The Witcher.
Source: YouTube
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