In a Sirius XM interview, Henry Cavill and “Argylle” director Matthew Vaughn were asked about the Bond franchise, with the host noting that they’d both “circled” the series “behind and in front of the camera.” That refers to the fact that Cavill almost landed the lead role in “Casino Royale” back in the early-2000s, while Vaughn was being considered for director. Asked specifically whether they would ever think about doing a James Bond film again, Cavill took the opportunity to share his feelings about Daniel Craig’s contribution to the saga, saying, “I do think that Daniel did an absolutely amazing job. He, and everyone else involved, breathed new life into the franchise which did it wonders.”
But it was with Vaughn’s comments that things got surprisingly candid. The filmmaker stated that “Casino Royale” director Martin Campbell actually preferred the “Man of Steel” actor’s audition to Craig’s, adding:
“I know that the director preferred [Cavill’s] audition, but Barbara [Broccoli] preferred ‘Layer Cake’ […] And they decided you were too young. I probably shouldn’t have said that but Broccolis aren’t that keen on me anyway, so what have I got to lose? [Cavill] would be excellent [for Bond], but it’s unfair for him to discuss about a project that he might be involved with or not and ruin it because of a question.”
Based on Cavill’s response it seems this was the first time he was hearing about Campbell’s preference for him as the lead of “Casino Royale.” But the actor remained professional and diplomatic throughout, stating that he “neither agrees nor disagrees with anything,” suggesting that those rumors of his involvement in the next phase of the Bond franchise might still have some legs.