Henry Cavill has revealed he was nearly cast as James Bond for Casino Royale.
As 007 fans will be well aware, that role was given to Daniel Craig and it marked his entry into Ian Fleming's spy universe.
However, it could have been a very different catalogue of movies if Cavill managed to win over casting directors.
He's revealed why he thinks he eventually lost the role during an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.
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"They told me I was close," he explained.
"They told me it was ultimately down to, and this is what I’ve been told, it was just down to me and Daniel, and I was the younger option.
"They obviously went with Daniel and I think it was an amazing choice to go with Daniel.
"I probably wasn’t ready at the time and I think Daniel did an incredible job over the past movies, so I’m happy they made that choice.
“It was a fun adventure at the time, and definitely gave me a boost to my career.
"That was the key element of it.”
Craig ended up appearing in five James Bond films over the course of 15 years before finally hanging up the proverbial Walther PPK in No Time To Die.
The mission at hand now is to find the person to replace Craig.
Considering Cavill got so close to nabbing the iconic role, you'd think he would be a sure bet.
However, the path ahead is murky and there are loads of actors that could possibly take on the character.
Bond boss Michael J Wilson recently revealed where they're thinking of heading in regards to finding the next James Bond.
Wilson, who runs Eon Productions with Barbara Broccoli, was speaking at an event at the British Film Institute at the start of October.
He said they're looking for someone in their 30s.
"Remember, Bond's already a veteran, he's had some experience," Wilson said (as reported by Deadline). "He's a person who has been through the wars, so to speak.
"He's probably been in the SAS or something, he isn't some kid out of high school that you can bring in and start off - that's why it works for a 30-something."
That would rule Cavill out a he's 39 at the moment and it could be a few years before we see the next Bond instalment.
That update also means the likes of Tom Hardy and Tom Holland won't be frontrunners due to being too old or too young, respectively.
Topics: Henry Cavill, Daniel Craig, James Bond, TV and Film
Stewart Perrie