Next James Bond new favourite is tied with Henry Cavill but has a huge advantage
The world of Hollywood casting is murkier and more dramatic than the plot of any 007 blockbuster. Cavill has been through a shockingly difficult period recently, leaving one major role, being confirmed and then dropped for another and then announcing yet another entirely out of the blue. As his diary looked increasingly free, his odds of taking over as the next Bond only strengthened. However, his currently 2-1 odds have now been matched a young pretender who has a clear advantage in the one criterion the Bond producers have said is critical for Daniel Craig’s replacement.
Fans were already devastated when Cavill walked away from his pet project TV show The Witcher in October. Although the Netflix series has been a smash hit, there were rumours that the square-jawed star was unhappy with the direction it was taking.
Plus he had just announced that he was, finally, officially returning as Superman in the troubled DC big screen universe, starting a fan frenzy with his cameo in The Rock’s Black Adam movie. And then, just weeks later, he was forced to announce the new Warner Bros DC head James Gunn had decided not to continue with his tenure as the Man of Steel.
Of course, all this just clears his path to a certain Aston Martin. He was almost in the driving seat back in 2006’s Casino Royale, down to the final two in the casting process alongside Daniel Craig.
Fans have been hoping that Cavill will triumph this time. There has been stiff competition over the past few years from favourites like Toms Hiddleston and Hardy, James Norton, Rege-Jean Paige and, of course, Idris Elba.
But recent shock reports that Aaron Taylor-Johnson had triumphed as his 007 audition rocketed him to the top of the odds alongside Cavill. UK bookies now have the two actors tied at 2-1, followed by Hardy on 6-1, Paige on 8-1 and Norton tied with Chiwetel Ejiofor on 10-1.
However, Cavill has also just announced he is creating a new Warhammer cinematic universe (see his Instagram post below). And in the Bond race, Taylor-Johnson has one huge advantage over him that could prove critical.
