“I Wasn’t Favouring Henry” – James Bond Director Says Henry Cavill Is Too Old

fortressofsolitude.co.za:

For ages, Ian Fleming’s suave secret agent has become an icon of the world of espionage thrillers. James Bond is more than just an icon of British history: the character has entered the annals of cinematic history with every new incarnation. With Daniel Craig’s tenure over, fans had already mentioned who they’d love to see donning the legendary 007 code. But according to one director, Henry Cavill is too old to be 007 in the James Bond franchise.

One name has been on the tip of the tongue for many fans ever since Craig’s departure became imminent: Henry Cavill (or Scott Adkins, according to this director). The Man of Steel himself has some remarkable experience working on espionage thrillers thanks to films like Mission: Impossible – Fallout and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. – both films in which the British actor proved he’s more than just a die-hard fantasy or sci-fi fan.

Picking Henry Cavill as the next Bond seemed like the clear choice for most fans – but the higher-ups were not on board with the casting choice. Someone who wasn’t particularly convinced about Cavill’s future as 007 was New Zealander director Martin Campbell, a man who has directed not one but two James Bond revivals, including Daniel Craig’s Casino Royale.

Campbell mentioned in an interview for Express UK that Henry Cavill’s audition for Casino Royale almost earned him the James Bond role. “He looked great in the audition. His acting was tremendous (…)” Campbell had nothing but praise for Cavill’s performance, mentioning that he also had the perfect looks to play the part of the legendary 007. However, at the time, the Superman actor looked much too young to play the part, with the studio favouring Craig for his more mature looks.

Ironically, the issue now is that Campbell believes that Henry Cavill is too old now to ever sign for a Bond trilogy. While Craig is fifteen years older than Cavill, he was 38 when he first became James Bond on the big screen. At 40, Cavill is just two years older than Craig was