A fan-made trailer depicting Henry Cavill as James Bond in a theoretical Bond 26 has taken the internet by storm, amassing millions of views and once again adding fuel to calls for Cavill to take on the role in the post-Daniel Craig era of the franchise. While there is still no official word on where the James Bond franchise will be going next, YouTube user KH Studio has once again stepped into the breach to give fans what they really want – a James Bond movie starring Henry Cavill.

Employing a clever combination of existing movie footage, AI-generated interpretations of Cavill in a classic Bond suit, and even throwing in Margot Robbie for good measure, the trailer has certainly caught the attention of fans in their millions. Naturally, there are plenty of tell-tale signs that this is by no means an official Bond trailer, but that kind of thing rarely matters when it comes to the internet giving people something that they really want to see, as KH Studio has a tendency to do. You can see the resulting video below.

Henry Cavill has long been part of the conversation regarding who will succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond, along with several other actors like Idris Elba, Taron Egerton, and Sam Heughan. Most recently it was suggested that Aaron Taylor-Johnson was pondering an actual offer made to him by producer Barbara Broccoli and her team as they attempt to reinvigorate the franchise for the sixth time. However, there has still been no confirmation that this deal is happening, and if anything, Broccoli has denied any kind of casting rumors at every opportunity.

James Bond Will Return with Another New Face

The James Bond franchise is one of the few long-running movie series that has managed to frequently change its lead actor and continues to be a success. Very much in the same vein as the ever-changing face of The Doctor in Doctor Who, the Bond franchise has a peculiar and almost unique place in the industry where a new face taking over the role every so often is not just accepted but expected.

Reboots are usually met with blowback on social media, and several cries of outrage at the idea of one actor being replaced with another – a prime example of which is the recasting of Cavill in The Witcher’s final two seasons with Liam Hemsworth. Although the casting of each new Bond is heavily debated – remember Daniel Craig’s original casting was met with a hefty amount of discourse – something ingrained in the franchise prevents the backlash being as total and devastating as several other movie reboots.

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While Sean Connery is, as will seemingly forever be, the quintessential Bond, Daniel Craig’s time in the role proved that even those castings that fans don’t instantly agree with can prove to be some of the best decisions made in the long run. For many, Craig’s darker and more brutal run of Bond movies, which became the first to culminate with the character’s death in 2021’s No Time to Die, are second only to Connery’s original six appearances in the role.

While the world waits to discover the truth about who will be the next person to take on the super spy mantle, there are always YouTube users like KH Studio to fill the gap with some popular fan-cast trailers of what-might-have-been versions, even if they’re not grounded in the franchise’s actual future.