The Bond Identity: Cavill, Craig’s Shadow, and the Future of 007

As for Henry Cavill, he was considered by director Martin Campbell for the role of Bond in 2005’s “Casino Royale,” but was deemed too young at the time. Now 42, some experts believe he may be too old to start a new Bond franchise, which typically requires actors to stick around for years.

However, Cavill remains a favorite among fans and the media. He has shown his acting chops in spy roles like Napoleon Solo in “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and more recently in “Argylle.”

This is GQ’s power ranking of the prime candidates to be the next James Bond, which is updated regularly — and will be until an official announcement is made.

Henry Cavill has the “standard Bond” look — tall, muscular, with a chiseled face and a cold but seductive gaze. He may be reminiscent of Sean Connery – the first Bond – with his British politeness but still very masculine and formidable.

🕶️ Cavill can bring a more traditional Bond, less “vulnerable” than Daniel Craig but more of a “gentleman spy” style.

Four years on from the conclusion of Daniel Craig’s acclaimed Bond stint, and we’re still yet to find his successor. The question remains: who will be the next James Bond?

The rumor mill has turned out names as varied as Idris Elba, James Norton, Theo James, Callum Turner, Harris Dickinson and Aaron Taylor-Johnson over the years. Elba was long thought to be the frontrunner, but has taken himself out of the race multiple times. Taylor-Johnson has also emerged as a leading candidate — so much so that The Sun reported last year that he had been officially offered the role. But with every passing week without confirmation, it feels more and more like blusher.

However, it looks like there may finally be movement in the near future. In February, it was announced that long-time franchise custodians Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, the daughter and stepson of O.G. Bond producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, will cede creative control over Bond to Amazon MGM Studios. This means that the company founded by bonafide Bond villain Jeff “Blofeld” Bezos will dictate the future of 007, leading to online speculation that the franchise will evolve from film series into a fully fledged media universe similar to the MCU.

Complicating matters, Ian Fleming’s original James Bond novels are expected to enter the public domain in 2035 — which could hypothetically lead to rival film studios making their own movies about the Bond books. Amazon better get their skates on, then. To that end, the announcement of Daniel Craig’s successor feels closer than it has since 2021. Bezos even straw-polled X on who the next Bond should be, and the replies were dominated by blue ticks clamouring for Henry Cavill.

It’s tough to say with any certainty who the next Bond will be, as evidenced by the bookies’ odds being all over the place. But we’ve long kept a close (golden)eye on the leading candidates for the license to kill, and have below assembled a power list of the most viable names — though keep in mind that Craig himself was considered an outside pick in the early 2000s, so even the unlikeliest actor could end up a double-O.

The latest? Aaron Taylor-Johnson just signed a deal with the watchmaker Omega, the watch brand that has been associated with Bond for thirty years. It has led to renew speculation that the 34-year-old actor, long thought a Bond frontrunner, will indeed pick up the PPK to start the Amazon era.

Fan-made trailer to celebrate the value and power of fans for him: