There was once a time when Henry Cavill was known as the unluckiest actor in Hollywood. Losing out on major roles such as Superman (a role he would eventually win in Zack Snyder’s divisive DCEU), Batman, and James Bond all within a few years of each other, Cavill even turned down a leading role in another Zack Snyder epic, rejecting the part to better prepare to potentially play 007 in 2006’s Casino Royale. A coveted role he ultimately lost to Daniel Craig.
Whether Cavill’s luck has changed all that much (he is no longer Superman following James Gunn’s DCU reboot and the drama behind the scenes of his other major project The Witcher is well documented) is open to debate, but things may have played out differently for Cavill, who could perhaps have seen his star rise faster sooner, had he not turned down a role in Zack Snyder’s 2007 action epic, 300.
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Discussing his bad luck back in 2013, Cavill revealed that he turned down “a leading role” in 300 as he knew that the next James Bond had come down to him and Daniel Craig. Of course, Craig became the new 007, with Gerard Butler going on to lead the Spartans into battle for Zack Snyder. This piece of Henry Cavill trivia will no doubt come as a surprise to many fans, who can only sit back and dream of either a Cavill-led 300, or seeing the Man of Steel star share the screen with Butler. Check out what Cavill had to say about turning down the role below.
“When I wasn’t selected for Bond, I was very disappointed. I’d turned down a leading role in 300 because it was down to Daniel Craig and me, and auditioning for Bond took all my focus.”
Henry Cavill’s ‘James Bond’ Audition Tape Was Released Recently
Warner Bros.
Henry Cavill’s audition tape for James Bond – an audition tape that saw him come second to Daniel Craig – was released recently. While many still feel that the former Superman actor has all the necessary ingredients to make a great 007, many were surprised by his lack of charm and “wooden” delivery in the footage.
As for 300, the Zack Snyder epic remains one of the divisive director’s best movies, boasting a magnetic lead performance from Gerard Butler as the Spartan leader, Leonidas. The warrior king is an older character, which suggests Cavill, who was in his early 20s at the time, would instead have been up for the role of younger character like Astinos, played in the movie by Tom Wisdom. Employing the use of Snyder’s classic slo-mo, and delivering violent battle scenes and glorious cinematography from Larry Fong that truly brings Frank Miller’s comic book to life, it’s easy to imagine Henry Cavill among Butler’s ranks.
Though he turned down the chance to star in 300, Cavill did eventually join forces with Zack Snyder for Man of Steel, Batman V Superman, and Justice League, with some fans feeling that Cavill should still be leading the DC cinematic universe as the iconic superhero. Henry Cavill has plenty of major projects in the pipeline, including the action thriller In the Grey from director Guy Ritchie; Amazon’s live-action adaptation of the beloved 80s cartoon, Voltron; and the long-awaited Highlander reboot from John Wick director Chad Stahelski.
Source: Nuts Magazine
Release Date
March 9, 2007
Runtime
117 minutes
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