Amazon founder and current executive chair Jeff Bezos has a question: “Who’d you pick as the next Bond?” Following the shocking news that Amazon MGM Studios has taken full creative control of the 007 franchise, Bezos riled up the fandom on X by asking his 6.8 million followers for their thoughts on who should succeed Daniel Craig as the world’s most famous movie secret agent.
Amazon MGM Studios and longtime Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced a new joint venture to house the 007 intellectual property rights. Under the venture, the three parties are co-owners of the franchise, but it is Amazon MGM that gets the creative control.
Social media users started flooding Bezos’ replies with their thoughts on who should become the new James Bond, from Tom Cruise to James McAvoy. But it was the Henry Cavill social media army that swarmed Bezos’ posts with pictures and gifs pitching the former “Superman” actor to become the new 007. It’s hardly a surprise, as Cavill is constantly pitched by fans to be James Bond on the big screen.
Cavill could have been Bond had Craig not earned the role of 007 in the 2006 franchise reboot “Casino Royale.” The film reinvigorated the Bond franchise after Pierce Brosnan’s divisive “Die Another Day” in 2002, and it kicked off Craig’s acclaimed tenure as Bond. “Casino Royale” director Martin Campbell told Express UK last year that Cavill’s audition was incredible.
“He looked great in the audition. His acting was tremendous,” 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 back then.”
At the time, Campbell also downplayed the possibility of Cavill taking over for Craig by saying: “Henry’s 40, so by the time he’s done the third one he’s going to be 50 and 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.”
There’s currently no timeline in place for when the next James Bond actor will be announced.
