Jeff Bezos Seeks Fans' Choice for Next James Bond, Clear Favorite Emerges

In a surprising turn of events, Amazon has assumed full creative control over the James Bond franchise, leading to the departure of long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson. This shift has sparked widespread speculation about who will step into the iconic role of 007 next.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos took to X / Twitter to gauge public opinion on the matter, and the response was overwhelmingly clear. While names like Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson were floated as potential candidates, Henry Cavill emerged as the resounding fan-favorite.

Following Bezos' tweet, Henry Cavill quickly became a trending topic online, fueled by the enthusiastic support from James Bond fans eager to see the Superman and Witcher actor take on the 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 increased. Cavill's involvement in Amazon's upcoming Warhammer 40,000 project, where he will both star and produce, adds an interesting layer to the conversation.

Cavill's history with the franchise is well-documented. He famously auditioned for the role in 2006's Casino Royale, an audition that director Martin Campbell described as "tremendous." Despite his strong performance, Cavill was ultimately passed over in favor of Daniel Craig due to his young age at the time. Reflecting on the experience, Campbell praised Cavill's audition, noting that he would have been an excellent Bond had Craig not been available.

In a 2023 interview with The Express, Campbell elaborated on Cavill's potential, 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 during 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."

The search for the next James Bond intensified after Daniel Craig's departure following No Time to Die. Campbell noted the age considerations involved in casting, explaining, "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."

Reflecting on Cavill's current age and the commitment required for the role, Campbell added, "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."