What Henry Cavill Really Thinks About Daniel Craig's 007 Films After Losing The Part To Him

It's been a good two years since Daniel Craig's swan song as James Bond, "No Time to Die" and its divisive ending debuted in theaters. But even before Craig's finale arrived, rumors continued to swirl that Henry Cavill was still in the running to take on the role following Craig's retirement. The "Man of Steel" actor had almost clinched the role back in the early 2000s when longtime Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson were casting for 2006's "Casino Royale." Unfortunately for Cavill, he just lost out to Craig — who reinvigorated the franchise with a fresh take on England's greatest spy.

Cavill has since remained a favorite to play Bond, despite the fact that he's now 40 and would have been in his early 20s the last time he came close to being cast. He's even spoken openly about what he would have done in the role, revealing his 007 would have been a mix of Sean Connery and Daniel Craig. Now starring as the titular sleuth in spy thriller "Argylle" from "Kingsman: The Secret Service" director Matthew Vaughn, Cavill still won't rule out playing 007. In a recent Total Film interview, the actor said his "Argylle" role is "a fun character," adding, "Whether I'm ruled out of Bond because of this or not is up to Barbara Broccoli and Mr. Wilson."

At this point, there's still no official word on who'll be taking over from Craig, which means Cavill could very well still be in the running. In the meantime, the actor has revealed what he thinks of the man who won the role he so narrowly missed out in "Casino Royale." What's more, thanks to some candid comments from his "Argylle" director, we now know just how close he in fact came to playing Bond in 2006.

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.

Matthew Vaughn also used his Sirius XM appearance to reveal that he first encountered Cavill during the auditions for "Casino Royale." The director — who would go on to cast Cavill in his 2007 film "Stardust" — explained how, during the "Casino Royale" casting process, he met with Daniel Craig at Pinewood Studios, the famed UK studio where almost all Bond films have shot:

"[Craig would] say, 'It's this young guy Henry Cavill I think they're seeing as well,' and [...] we hadn't done 'Stardust' yet [...] but that's how [Cavill] came into my radar. I was thinking, 'Well who's this guy who got down to the last two for Bond?' So that's how I discovered [Cavill], because of [his] audition."

So it seems some good came of Cavill missing out on Bond back in the early-2000s. While it remains unclear who will be donning the famous tux next, we do know that Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are looking for a 10-12-year commitment from whomever they cast. That would mean that if Cavill is cast he'll potentially be playing the role well into his 50s, which wouldn't be unheard of. Daniel Craig himself was 51 when he bowed out of the franchise, while Roger Moore started playing the role at 45, before retiring from the series at 58.

For now, all we know is that Taron Egerton won't be playing 007 in the next film. Otherwise we'll have to wait for an official announcement to see whether Cavill once again missed out on the role.