Jeff Bezos Polls Fans on Next James Bond, Clear Winner Emerges

In a stunning turn of events, Amazon has taken the reins on the iconic James Bond franchise, leaving fans buzzing about who should step into the suave spy's shoes next. Following the departure of long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, Amazon's Jeff Bezos took to X / Twitter to ask fans directly who they envision as the next 007.

The response was overwhelmingly clear: Henry Cavill, known for his roles as Superman and in "The Witcher," is the top choice among fans. While names like Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson were floated, it's Cavill who has captured the public's imagination.

Cavill's name quickly trended online after Bezos' query, fueled by his existing fanbase and his previous near-miss at the role. Fans are now speculating whether his involvement in Amazon's upcoming "Warhammer 40,000" project might boost his chances of finally donning the iconic tuxedo.

Cavill's history with the role is well-documented. He auditioned for the part for the 2006 film "Casino Royale," where director Martin Campbell praised his performance as "tremendous." However, at the age of 23, Cavill was deemed too young, and the role went to Daniel Craig. Campbell later reflected in a 2023 interview with The Express, "He looked great in the audition. His acting was tremendous. 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."

Cavill himself acknowledged the close call in an interview with Josh Horowitz, saying, "It was ultimately down to, and this is what I’ve been told, it was just down to me and Daniel, and I was the younger option. They obviously went with Daniel and I think it was an amazing choice to go with Daniel. I probably wasn’t ready at the time and I think Daniel did an incredible job over the past movies, so I’m happy they made that choice."

With Daniel Craig's exit after "No Time to Die," the search for the next James Bond has been on. Campbell noted the age considerations, stating, "By the time Daniel got to [No Time To Die] really he was at an age where one more would have been too old for him. I think they sign on for three Bonds, I’m not absolutely 100% certain of that. I know with Pierce [Brosnan] he had to sign on to three when we did him. So, that’s going to take, what, six years of your life maybe? I suspect Daniel [had] the same deal. And the next guy’s going to have to do that. Henry’s 40, so by the time he’s done the third one he’s going to be 50. 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."

As Amazon takes the helm of the franchise, the question remains: Will Henry Cavill finally get his chance to be James Bond?