Los Angeles, March 12 : British actor Henry Cavill may be the perfect choice for James Bond but the actor thinks he is a "bit old" to play the part.

The 42-year-old actor has been a hot favourite to play the iconic British spy since he almost landed the prestigious role when he got through to the final audition stage for 2006's â??Casino Royaleâ??, but lost out to 58-year-old Daniel Craig, reports â??Female First UKâ??.

Henry recalled to the new issue of Heat magazine, "I didn't turn the role down, it just wasn't the right time. What actor wouldn't love to be Bond? But at 42, I'd probably be considered a bit old to start nowâ??.

As well as Henry, Jacob Elordi, 28, and Callum Turner, 36, are some of the names already tipped to replace Daniel, whose last Bond film was 2021's â??No Time to Dieâ??, as the iconic spy in the upcoming untitled 26th 007 flick, from Amazon MGM Studios.

As per â??Female First UKâ??, if he did not get cast for the lead role, Henry would like the opportunity play a Bond villain in future films, of which the upcoming movie's story, penned by â??Peaky Blindersâ?? creator Steven Knight, 66, is rumoured to centre on the threat posed by artificial intelligence (AI).

Henry said, "I would love to be a Bond villain, though. If it was the right character, I think that would be fascinating to exploreâ??.

After he missed out on playing James Bond, of which filming for the highly anticipated next instalment will reportedly start before the end of 2026, Henry landed the fictional role of Superman in 2013's Man of Steel. And children mistake the star for being a real-life superhero when they meet him, which Henry loves.

He said, "It's fantastic when kids recognise me because they don't see you as the actor who plays the superhero, they see you as actual Superman. When you take on an iconic role like that, I think there is a real responsibility, not just for the movie itself, but how you interact with the huge fanbaseâ??.

/IANS