Henry Cavill will star alongside Kevin Hart in a new spy comedy for Netflix. The casting news has revived questions about the actor’s long-speculated link to the James Bond franchise.

The untitled film, directed by McG, adapts a short story by Sean Lewis. It follows two rival spies who encounter each other at a Lamaze class after their wives strike up a friendship. Their carefully compartmentalized lives unravel in ways both perilous and absurd, forcing the men into an awkward alliance on the path to fatherhood. Details about Cavill’s character remain undisclosed, but the reported movie details were enough to send social media into a familiar frenzy.

Fans are still clamoring for Henry Cavill to be James Bond

Henry Cavill’s name has been attached to the James Bond speculation for years. His breakout role as Superman demonstrated the physical presence the part requires. Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. showed a suave, quick-witted operative who felt Bond-adjacent. But it seems Daniel Craig’s long tenure, combined with Cavill’s commitments to DC films and later Netflix’s The Witcher, meant schedules never aligned.

Online reaction to the Netflix project reflected lingering frustration among supporters. “It almost feels like a meme how he constantly gets cast as Spy character lead in films yet never does 007 Bond lol,” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Another wrote that the reported announcement “has to mean #HenryCavill is not going to be the new #JamesBond.” A third simply stated, “The next James Bond should be Henry.”

Henry Cavill may not be 007, but he could play a Bond villain

The 43-year-old cited age as the decisive factor for taking on the 007 role. “I didn’t turn the role down – it just wasn’t the right time,” Henry Cavill said earlier. “What actor wouldn’t love to be Bond? But at 42, I’d probably be considered a bit old to start now.”

Rather than dwell on a door that appears closed, Cavill pointed toward a different entrance. “I would love to be a Bond villain, though. If it was the right character, I think that would be fascinating to explore.” The remark carries weight given his menacing turn as August Walker in Mission: Impossible – Fallout.

The Bond franchise itself remains in a state of reinvention. Amazon MGM confirmed Denis Villeneuve as director in June 2025, with Steven Knight brought aboard to write the screenplay. No actor has been formally offered the role, leaving the field technically open even as the production team seeks a performer who can carry the series for a decade or more.