After 20 years, Henry Cavill’s audition tape for James Bond is finally available to watch online. Following Pierce Brosnan’s departure from the role after Die Another Day in 2002, Daniel Craig was cast as the next James Bond for 2006’s Casino Royale and reprised the role for 2008’s Quantum of Solace, 2012’s Skyfall, 2015’s Spectre, and 2021’s No Time to Die. However, Cavill was also one of the finalists for Bond in Casino Royale before Craig ultimately landed the role.

Now, 20 years after it was recorded, Henry Cavill’s audition tape for James Bond has finally surfaced and is available to watch online. Via Ron South on YouTube, the video shows a long-haired Cavill recording various screen tests in 2005 and reading lines from Goldeneye, including his order of a “vodka martini, shaken not stirred” and that his name is “Bond, James Bond.” Watch his full audition tape below:

What Henry Cavill’s Audition Tape Means For The Next James Bond

It’s Certain To Reignite Interest In The Actor

Cavill’s audition tape provides the first real look at what the actor’s iteration of Bond would have looked like. As GoldenEye and Casino Royale director Martin Campbell has said in the past, Cavill “looked great in the audition,” his “acting was tremendous​​​​​​,” and “he looked terrific, he was in great physical shape… very handsome, very chiseled.” While the director reportedly wanted Cavill for the role, the producers preferred Craig because they wanted a slightly older Bond, and they ultimately won out in the end.

Ever since Craig’s departure from the role after No Time to Die, Cavill has consistently been one of the betting favorites to become the next James Bond, and his audition tape is sure to reignite interest in seeing him take on the role. However, while he was too young for Bond in 2005, he’s likely too old for the role today. Bond producers are reportedly looking for a younger actor to become the next Bond, with one source suggesting that Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been offered the role, though no formal announcement has been made.

Our Take On Henry Cavill’s James Bond Audition Tape

He Would’ve Been A Great Bond If Not For Daniel Craig

After watching his audition tape, it’s no wonder why Cavill was one of the two finalists along with Craig for 2006’s Casino Royale. According to Campbell, Cavill was the only other actor in serious contention for the role, and the director even reportedly preferred him over Craig. The producers ultimately went with Craig, and it would be nearly impossible to argue that they made the wrong decision. However, in a world where Craig didn’t exist, Cavill would have been a great James Bond.

Source: Ron South