Henry Cavill's 'Superman' Announcement Sparks Bond Rumors

Now that Henry Cavill's time as Superman has come to an end, many fans think it paves the way for him to become the next James Bond.

In a statement posted to his Instagram account, Cavill confirmed he in fact won't be returning to play the famous superhero, just two months after he'd said he would be returning. That announcement also came with a very brief cameo at the end of Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam, after the actor said he'd listened to fans to organize his return.

Now that James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad) and Peter Safran, co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios, they've informed Cavill he's no longer needed as Superman. While he may have lost one job, online speculation suggests he could be in the running for a different but equally as important role.

"But this means Henry Cavill can finally play James Bond, right?" Stephen Ford, actor and director of upcoming movie Kiru suggested on Twitter. With thousands of likes and retweets, it seems many fans agreed.

Ford wasn't the only one to push this idea out into the Twittersphere, with thousands of other users tweeting out their support for the idea.

"Henry Cavill should be James Bond," filmmaker Jon Lee Brody wrote.

Writer Steve May went one step further and suggested Cavill should take on a different superhero role, and cross the party line over to DC's competitors Marvel.

"Can we have Henry Cavill as Captain Britain now please?" May wrote before adding: "Also, James Bond..."

At 39 years old, Cavill is currently in the correct age bracket to make his debut as 007. Sean Connery was 32 in his first stint as the British spy. George Lazenby was the youngest actor, at 30, to portray Bond that one time. Moore was 45 years old in his first 007 movie, Timothy Dalton was 41, and Pierce Brosnan was 42 years old. The latest Bond, Daniel Craig, was 38.

Cavill revealed the news about his departure from the DC Universe on Instagram, saying it came after a meeting with Gunn and Safran.

"I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn't the easiest, but that's life. The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that," Cavill wrote on Wednesday.

"My turn to wear the cape has passed, but what Superman stands for never will. It's been a fun ride with you all, onwards and upwards," Cavill said.

"Hope to catch you in another universe, sir," wrote Zachary Levi, who plays the superhero Shazam in the DC Extended Universe. The future of the actors currently in roles in the DCEU is currently unsure, with the studio having canceled movies like Batgirl, but seemingly progressing with 2023's The Flash despite controversy involving its lead Ezra Miller.