Leaked Video Shows Henry Cavill Auditioning for James Bond 20 Years Ago. Many Believe the Actor Was Too Inexperienced

Unexpectedly, footage from auditions for the film Casino Royale has surfaced online. Twenty years ago, the role of the iconic British agent was not only pursued by Daniel Craig but also by actors like Henry Cavill.

The videos were posted on the YouTube channel Ron South. So far, the uploader has shared clips featuring four actors: Henry Cavill, Antony Starr (The Boys), Sam Worthington (Avatar), and Rupert Friend (Hitman: Agent 47).

The video of Henry Cavill garnered the most views. In the clip, a 20-year-old Cavill performs a scene from GoldenEye: he flirts with Xenia Onatopp, orders his signature cocktail, and delivers the iconic line, "Bond. James Bond."

Many commenters believe that the future star of The Witcher didn’t quite nail the role. “Bro just wants to end the conversation and go home to finish painting its Warhammer 40000 army,” joked @afrancesco999.

However, Casino Royale director Martin Campbell disagrees with the audience's opinion. In 2023, he stated that Cavill’s audition was “tremendous,” and if it weren’t for Daniel Craig, Cavill could have easily become the new Bond.

The auditions of Antony Starr also drew significant attention from viewers. Comments mention that Starr already had a presence reminiscent of The Homelander, while others noted he looks like an older version of Joffrey from Game of Thrones.