Who should replace Daniel Craig as James Bond? One creative fan has a pretty good idea. Fan art depicting Henry Cavill as the superspy has surfaced online, and it’s good enough that if Hollywood execs hadn’t considered casting Cavill in the role before, they’re probably mulling it over now.
The image comes to us courtesy of digital artist Jakub Maslowski via his Instagram account. It’s stylish as all get-out, and that’s because Maslowski used his top-notch photo-editing skills to alter a poster for the 2015 action-adventure spy film The Man from U.N.C.L.E., in which Cavill starred as the charming secret agent Napoleon Solo.
Maslowski was evidently inspired by a yet-unconfirmed rumor that surfaced in September of last year that claimed Cavill was being eyed to replace Craig after next year’s forthcoming as-yet untitled Bond film. For that matter, Maslowski isn’t the first to have this idea. Fellow Photoshop wizard BossLogic also took a crack at Cavill as Bond shortly before the rumor started making the rounds. Both fan edits definitely have us hoping that Cavill being up for the part is more than just a rumor.
The actor is, of course, best-known for portraying Superman in recent DC movies. He held down the role in 2013’s Man of Steel, 2016’s Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and 2017’s Justice League. After that team-up film fell far short of box office expectations, studio Warner Brothers was forced to radically rethink its approach to its DC properties. Rather than continue building a singular, interconnected world like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Warner and DC went back to the drawing board with a more filmmaker-driven approach focusing more heavily on standalone films.
So far, the results have paid dividends; this year’s Shazam!, which largely paid lip service to the established continuity, scored with critics and was a modest box office hit. Meanwhile, the upcoming Joaquin Phoenix starrer Joker is already garnering early Oscar buzz. But as a result of the recalibration, characters that were less warmly received by audiences, like Cavill’s Superman, were sent back to the drawing board. For Cavill, this means that he should have some time on his hands, if he wants to jump into yet another iconic franchise.
Of course, it’s not like the star is just sitting around waiting for the phone to ring. He’ll be holding down the lead role of Geralt in Netflix’s upcoming, highly-anticipated live-action adaptation of The Witcher. He’s also attached to star as Sherlock Holmes in Enola Holmes, which will see Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown appearing as the titular younger sister of the legendary detective.
But few actors would sneeze at the opportunity to play 007, and if the stars line up right, the 36-year old Englishman could potentially hold down the role of 007 for years to come, just as Daniel Craig has. The blond Brit has made a fine Bond, admirably filling the superspy’s shoes in four films before agreeing to come back for one more round in the physically taxing role. The upcoming Bond movie has had its share of bumps in the road on the way to screens, but sneak peaks released by director Cary Joji Fukunaga promise a rollicking, globetrotting sendoff for Craig.
It’s doubtful that we’ll get any official Bond casting news until after the final Daniel Craig Bond flick is released on April 8, 2020, but until then, this image should help to give fans, executives, and casting directors some serious food for thought. Cavill is a gifted actor, he certainly looks the part, and he’s British to boot. Thank you, Mr. Maslowski, for creatively stating the obvious, this man needs to be the next 007.
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