Film lovers can be hard-pressed to discover a film function that comes with as a lot strain, drama, and, oh yeah, controversy as James Bond. Most of the people remains to be ready on pins and needles to see who formally takes the torch from the irreplaceable Daniel Craig, with rumors strongly pointing to “Kraven the Hunter” star Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the following man as much as inherit the mantle. (It is okay, Craig appears simply tremendous utilizing his clout to star in films like “Queer,” “Wake Up Useless Man,” and, bizarrely sufficient, a “Sgt. Rock” adaptation for DC.) So, whereas the way forward for the franchise stays considerably cloudy, what higher time to look again on the previous and contemplate all of the what-ifs that would’ve doubtlessly come to fruition?
Bond aficionados will endlessly obsess over fan-castings like Idris Elba, Dev Patel, and the always-popular Henry Cavill, however this is one twist they most likely did not see coming. None aside from Homelander himself, “The Boys” actor Antony Starr, was as soon as within the operating to play the British superspy with a license to kill in 2006’s “On line casino Royale” — or, on the very least, he made it far sufficient to earn himself a display screen check for the then-new tackle the well-known character. In fact, this may ultimately turn into a a lot youthful, extra hotheaded, and much much less suave model of Bond than audiences had ever seen earlier than. The video that includes Starr, nevertheless, appears like a far cry from Craig’s far much less refined strategy to the character. The footage was not too long ago uploaded to blogger Ron South’s YouTube web page (by way of Whole Movie), displaying off a whopping four-and-a-half minutes from Starr’s authentic audition video going down 20 years in the past and instantly throwing “The Boys” followers right into a tizzy.
Take a look at the total clip under!
Antony Starr’s James Bond audition leaked and the web is freaking out
For anybody who ever needed to listen to Homelander say, “The identify’s Bond … James Bond” earlier than ordering considered one of his distinctive vodka martinis (shaken, not stirred, after all), that is their fortunate day. Few would argue that Antony Starr wasn’t pitch-perfect casting for the supervillain Homelander, the dead-eyed sociopath who murders and intimidates individuals prefer it’s his day job within the Prime Video collection “The Boys.” Nonetheless, it is fairly a shock to see a a lot youthful Starr with brunette hair and a vastly completely different accent try to show up the attraction on his scene accomplice. As is franchise custom, Starr’s audition tape is definitely a scene from a earlier movie within the franchise — on this case, a scene from 1995’s “GoldenEye” the place Pierce Brosnan’s debonair spy flirts with the femme fatale often called Xenia Onatopp, performed by Famke Janssen.
The audition tape is a uncommon peek at how the sausage is made for the venerable property, revealing what the Broccoli household was closely contemplating on the time for his or her largest swing but. (When final we heard from sources near the protecting rights holders, producer Barbara Broccoli reportedly had some severe behind-the-scenes drama unfolding between her household and Amazon Studios.) Right here, Starr delivers alternate takes on sure traces, redoes the complete scene from the highest, and in any other case makes an attempt to channel one of the beloved Bond actors of all of them. None of it even remotely resembles Craig’s future casting, after all, and that is most likely a stable indicator of why this specific audition apparently went no additional.
The tape rapidly made its technique to Reddit, the place each Bond fanatics and “The Boys” followers joined forces to touch upon what may need been. Opinions appear cut up over whether or not Starr would’ve made a worthy James Bond or not, however it’s clear that issues finally labored out for the most effective. Starr will subsequent be seen within the fifth and closing season of “The Boys,” which debuts on Prime Video someday in 2026.
