Henry Cavill's Upcoming Movie Delivers On Bond & Man Of Steel 2 Promise
Henry Cavill's new movie can (almost) fulfill the promises of his non-existent James Bond and Man of Steel 2 projects. Henry Cavill is an actor firmly still in his prime, but has already collected an impressive arsenal of onscreen roles, from DCEU Superman to Geralt of Rivia, by way of Mission: Impossible. Despite having no official connection whatsoever to Ian Fleming's spy, however, any given Cavill conversation is never far from the topic of James Bond. There's a widely-held belief that Cavill is about as perfect as a James Bond actor as you'll find, and with Daniel Craig handing in his license to kill, a vacancy has opened up in MI6... although there's still no suggestion Henry Cavill will be the man to fill it.
A Cavill-fronted Bond 26 isn't the actor's only unrealized franchise blockbuster audiences have spent years wishing into reality. Henry Cavill made his mainstream breakthrough as Superman in 2013's Man of Steel, before reappearing in 2016's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and the following year's Justice League (as well its subsequent Snyder cut). Though all 3 DC outings were criticized for one reason or another, Cavill himself earned widespread praise for his depictions of Superman, Clark Kent, and the dichotomy between both. Many among the DC faithful have wondered whether a Man of Steel 2 could coax the best from Cavill's portrayal, but the sequel remains stalling in development hell.
Whether you're praying for Eon to announce Henry Cavill as their new 007, or hoping Warner Bros. green-lights a DCEU Man of Steel 2, Argylle might just offer a taste of both. Based on the as-yet-unreleased book by Elly Conway, Cavill stars as the titular Argylle - a master spy suffering from amnesia. As well as existing within the same espionage sub-genre, early signs suggest Argylle will strike an especially Bond-ian tone, with the film's director (Matthew Vaughn) confirming Cavill was chosen primarily for his suitability as a 007 actor. Assuming Eon picks another successor to Daniel Craig, Argylle can scratch the world's Cavill-Bond itch. The premise isn't exactly the same, but Argylle promises a Bond-adjacent protagonist within a traditional spy thriller plot, allowing fans to see what a Cavill 007 performance might've looked like in a parallel universe.
And that's not all - Argylle also carries a spiritual connection to Man of Steel 2. As Warner Bros. tried and failed to get a DCEU Superman sequel moving over the years, various directors have come and gone. In 2017, Matthew Vaughn was attached to Man of Steel 2. According to reports, the Kingsman and Kiss-Ass director's sequel would've been a feel-good throwback to earlier Superman movies, and a stark change from Zack Snyder's darker vision. Though opinion on such a drastic gear-change was divided, Vaughn's irreverent, self-aware, humorous style meshing against Henry Cavill's Superman prompted curiosity. Argylle exists worlds away from superheroes in red underwear, but it's still Matthew Vaughn directing a Henry Cavill protagonist in a good-time, genre-spinning adventure flick. Maybe not as directly comparable as James Bond, Argylle can nevertheless provide some sense of the tone and feel Matthew Vaughn's Man of Steel 2 would've employed.
Neither the prospect of Henry Cavill playing James Bond, nor him appearing in Man of Steel 2 is completely dead. The actor remains neck-and-neck with Tom Hardy and Idris Elba as a popular frontrunner for the 007 gig (although you'd imagine portraying a very similar hero in Argylle doesn't help his James Bond chances), and talk of Man of Steel 2 isn't going anywhere - especially with multiverse mechanics now very much en vogue. If The Amazing Spider-Man 3 is still on the table, so is a Henry Cavill Superman sequel. While future outings as Bond and/or Clark Kent remain dormant, however, Argylle could prove a valuable tonic.