"A duel between titans"
Henry Cavill has revealed it came down to just him and Daniel Craig to secure the Bond role.
The Jersey-born actor, just 22 years old at the time of his screentest in 2005, divulged:
"They told me I was close. They told me it was ultimately down to, and this is what I've been told, it was just down to me and Daniel, and I was the younger option. They obviously went with Daniel, and it was an amazing choice.
"I probably wasn't ready at the time, and I think Daniel did an incredible job over the past movies, so I'm happy they made that choice. It was a fun adventure at the time and definitely gave me a boost to my career, and that was the key element of it".
Casino Royale director Martin Campbell disclosed he tested eight actors but wouldn't say whom.
Henry Cavill and Sam Worthington have let their cats out of the bag.
One got the gig and went on the play James Bond until 2022.
Who were the other five?
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Joe Emery
Joe is Editor of For Bond Fans Only and a writer by trade. When he's not watching Bond, he can be found listening to The Beatles and worrying about West Ham. You can find him on Twitter @joeemerywrites