Henry Cavill is a favorite to take over Daniel Craig’s James Bond concert after No Time To Die, but is the Superman actor too famous for 007?
Is the argument that Henry Cavill is “too famous” to James Bond valid? Daniel Craig’s time as the face of James Bond has been a phenomenal success, consistently impressing at the box office and offering 007 some of his best adventures. Beginning with Casino Royale, Daniel Craig’s Bond also brought a sleeker, more modern makeover for one of the most traveled characters in cinema. However, inevitably, the keys to Bond’s kingdom will pass to another actor upon the release of No Time To Die.
Eon is playing his cards close to his chest regarding the next Bond. Despite Daniel Craig’s impending departure, there are still no signs that a replacement has been chosen, and the COVID delays at No Time To Die could be partly responsible. However, there are some long-standing rumors and favorite actors in the run, and Man of Steel’s Henry Cavill is near the top of that list. Cavill came close to landing the role of 007 on Casino Royale, but was outbid by Daniel Craig. Now a much bigger star, Cavill is linked to the MI6 vacancy once again, but James Bond expert Dr. Ian Kinane believes that while Cavill is certainly capable of playing Bond, his performance in DCEU Superman is too big of an obstacle.
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Unfortunately, Dr. Kinane makes a compelling argument. There is no question that Cavill would have been an excellent Bond – the roles in The Man From UNCLE, Enola Holmes and Night Hunter prove it. The sticking point is Superman, an iconic movie character who ranks high as 007 in the big screen hierarchy of heroes. Previous bonds have reported for their first movie carrying various degrees of Hollywood luggage. George Lazenby was a complete stranger, and Sean Connery was only semi-recognizable before James Bond. Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig all enjoyed relatively prominent opening roles, but each was elevated in a big way thanks to Bond. Regardless of how well known the actors were beforehand, 007 represented a huge step forward and defined their careers long after they quit. With the Man of Steel in Cavill’s past, going from Krypton’s favorite son to Britain’s favorite spy is more of a sideways move.
There are several major downsides to choosing a big-name Cavill actor like James Bond. The general audience already has a preconceived idea of the actor’s style and gestures, and secondly, it is more difficult to mold a completely new incarnation of 007, because viewers must stop watching Superman before they start watching Bond. From another perspective, the Bond producers work hard to maintain an aura of prestige around their iconic spy. To this end, Eon often casts actors for whom “James Bond” will be the top entry on his resume, rather than letting 007 compete for space with characters like Superman. This argument would also rule out Tom Hardy and Idris Elba, the latter of whom Dr. Kinane admits would have been perfect.
As alternate choices, Kinane replaces Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, and James Norton. Like Craig, Brosnan and Moore in years past, these are all faces that the general public will be familiar with, but not necessarily associated with a specific role. Bell is best known for Billy Elliot (he has grown quite a bit since then), and Norton’s biggest credits have appeared on British television. Madden is the most famous of the trio, and is widely known for playing Robb Stark on Game of Thrones, however the King of the North is not on the level of “Superman,” and Madden broke the fantasy with a successful performance in The bodyguard.
While Cavill and Elba offer star power in abundance, Bell, Madden, and Norton bring a blend of lead author authority and conventional originality, more like a blank slate from which the new James Bond can take shape. This will be especially important if the reported MGM sale goes ahead. Whoever inherits the Bond rights will look for a newer version of the franchise and a similar reinvention to James Bond2006 revival with Daniel Craig.
More: James Bond: Every Actor Who Has Played Miss Moneypenny In The Movies
No Time to Die / James Bond 25 (2021)Release Date: Apr 02, 2021
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Craig Elvy (2357 articles published)
Craig began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating from college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a dark room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to television and film, where a constant science fiction and comic book education eventually became a reality. Craig has previously been posted on sites like Den of Geek, and after many coffee-soaked hours hunched over a laptop, part-time night work has finally turned into a full-time career spanning everything from the zombie apocalypse to the spaceship Enterprise through the TARDIS. Since joining the Screen Rant group, Craig has been involved in breaking news and slightly controversial ranking lists, but now works primarily as an article writer. Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorites include superheroes, anime, and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.
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