Rumor Claims Superman Star Henry Cavill Wanted as Next James Bond

Superman star Henry Cavill is rumored to be eyed for the next James Bond once Daniel Craig ends his tenure as the suave super spy.

The rumor emerged on Crazy Days and Nights, a famed Hollywood insider gossip site that regularly pens blind items — blurbs that hint at the identities of their subject matter without directly naming them. It has since outed Cavill and Bond in a subsequent update.

“The producers of this long running franchise don’t care at all about the cloud swirling around the head of this foreign born former superhero,” reads the September 13th blind item. “They want to cast him as their next replacement.” A September 20 update reveals the long-running franchise as Bond and the foreign-born former superhero as British actor Henry Cavill, who played the Man of Steel across three DC Films productions.

News broke last week claiming Cavill was out as the iconic superhero, but a cryptic video shared by Cavill on Instagram suggested the five-year Superman star was not yet through with the role.

Cavill’s manager, Dany Garcia, said on Twitter “the cape is still in his closet,” adding producers Warner Bros. “has been and continues to be our partners as they evolve the DC Universe.”

In response to the situation by way of a statement released through The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. said only “no decisions have been made regarding any upcoming Superman films,” but that the studio has “always had great respect for and a great relationship with Henry Cavill, and that remains unchanged.”

Cavill, who portrayed an undercover agent in the Guy Ritchie-directed Man From U.N.C.L.E. and more recently found success as the mustached rogue spy of blockbuster smash hit Mission: Impossible — Fallout this summer, previously told Yahoo Movies he’s interested in suiting up as Bond and would accept if offered the role.

“I think Bond would be a really fun role,” Cavill said. “It’s British, it’s cool. I think now that I have my Mission: Impossible badge we can do real stunts and really amp it up as well.”

He added: “Not to say they weren’t doing real stunts — I’m just saying it would be fun for me to actually take what I’ve learnt on this and carry it through to a movie like Bond. I’d love to play a Brit — I don’t get to play a Brit very often. So yes, I would love the opportunity and if they were to ask, I would say yes.”

Craig, who will have played Bond across five movies as of the in-the-works Bond 25, intends to make the milestone film his last outing as the character despite a report that surfaced last summer claiming Craig would return for both 25 and 26.

Appearing on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in 2017, Craig said of Bond 25, “I think this is it. I just want to go out on a high note. I can’t wait.”

Bond 25 intends to keep its November 6, 2019 release date despite losing original director Danny Boyle.