After starring in the likes of Mission: Impossible - Fallout and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Henry Cavill is no stranger to the spy genre. Next up for him is Guy Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare where he'll play Gus March-Phillipps, a real-life influence for Sir Ian Fleming's James Bond.
Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, Cavill addressed the long-standing claims that he's among the actors being eyed to take over from Daniel Craig as 007.
"All I've got to go off is the rumors. The same information you have. Maybe I'm too old now. Maybe I'm not," the 40-year-old former Superman said. "It's up to Barbara Broccoli and Mike Wilson, and we'll see what their plans are."
Asked if he believes playing March-Phillipps might have helped his cause, Cavill added, "Yeah, it seems like a good first step, right? I’m sure Ian Fleming wrote James Bond with a lot of stories, a lot of characters in mind, but as I understand it Gus March-Phillipps was one of the stronger influences."
For those of you who aren't aware, his character in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare was the founder of the British Army's precursor of the SAS. It was after World War II when Fleming wrote his James Bond novels, with March-Phillipps as a key source of inspiration.
Last year, Casino Royale director Martin Campbell reflected on Cavill's audition for the 2006 reboot.
"He looked great in the audition. His acting was tremendous," the filmmaker said. "And look, if Daniel [Craig] 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."
"The way they work with Bond, and it’s pretty terrific, is when they decide on the actor and you audition - in our case, it was eight people - it’s very democratic," Campbell added. "You sit around a table, eight or nine of you. It was myself and the producers, casting director, etc. And you go through the eight people and you put your hand up as you talk through each person and ultimately everybody has to be unanimous in their decision, if you see what I mean."
Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the current frontrunner to play the next Bond, though that remains a rumour and little more. Cavill would be a good fit for the role, but perhaps not if the franchise's producers are looking for someone to have a stint as lengthy as Craig's.
Check out the full interview with Cavill below.