Director of Henry Cavill's new spy film Argylle says there's no better actor to play James Bond, which is why he was cast
Jan. 30, 2024Exclusive: Matthew Vaughn explains why Henry Cavill was the natural choice to play a spy in Argylle
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Henry Cavill channels his inner James Bond in the new action movie Argylle, where he stars as a world-class superspy. And according to director Matthew Vaughn, it was The Witcher star’s Bond-like acting chops that made him cast the actor.
Speaking to theInside Total Film podcastand GamesRadar+, Vaughn explains: “A clichéd super spy is what I needed and there is no one on this planet who, if you read an Ian Fleming Bond book, is better for Bond than Henry Cavill.”
Argylle follows a reclusive author called Elly Conway (played by Bryce Dallas Howard), known for her popular series of novels that star Cavill’s superspy as its lead. However, when her work gets too close to the truth about a real international spy syndicate, the lines between reality and fiction begin to blur.
Just like Cavill, director Vaughn is no stranger to spy movies as the man behind theKingsmanmovies, which star Taron Egerton and Colin Firth as gentleman spies. However, he admits that he’s not sure he’ll ever helm a James Bond movie himself.
“Never say never, but I doubt it very much,” Vaughn adds when we bring it up. “I mean, I love Bond, Bond has been a huge influence on me as a human being, let alone as a director. But I think the Bond world is the [Barbara] Broccoli world, they’re the master of that domain and I can’t see them wanting me to be anywhere near it.”
For our full interview with Vaughn, listen to this week’s edition of theInside Total Film podcast, which is out now. We also talk aboutSam Rockwell’s dancing improv in Argylle,an update on the Cavill-led sequel, thefilm’s PG-13 rating, andwhat’s going on with the Kick-Ass reboot.
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Argylle arrives in UK theaters on February 2 and US theaters on February 3, and here’s our breakdown of theArgylle post-creditsscene. Check out our guide to thebest action moviesand our picks for thenext James Bondfor more spy-related fun.
I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I’ve also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.
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