The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a gloriously fun action movie, but it’s not just a fun spy movie about Operation Postmaster. There are connections to the iconic James Bond franchise throughout the World War II film, including the casting of Henry Cavill as Gus March-Phillips.
The James Bond Connection
James Bond series fans will quickly recognize Ian Fleming as a character in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Fleming, who would go on after his British Intelligence career to author the James Bond 007 novels, is played in the film by Freddie Fox. He’s the right-hand man of Brigadier Gubbins, played by Cary Elwes.
Fans aren’t just getting the James Bond author in the film, though. They’re also getting the inspiration for the James Bond character itself. Gus March-Phillips, the leader of Churchill’s squad of murderous heroes, is widely thought to be who Fleming based the James Bond character on in his novels.
Some Clever Casting
2022’s No Time to Die was the final Bond film for Daniel Craig. Since then, there has been rampant speculation about which actor would take the role next. One fan favorite choice is Henry Cavill, who has shined in roles as Superman and Geralt of Rivia. Cavill is 40 years old, which puts him on the high end of the age range Bond producers are seeking. But a lot of fans want it. Just this week, a fan-made trailer imagining Cavill and Margot Robbie in Bond 26 got over 3 million views on YouTube.
We got to see a tiny taste of what Cavill might be as Bond, though. Casting him as the character that inspired the Bond series is incredibly clever. On top of that, it reinforced that Cavill would be an exceptional choice as 007.
If you’ve seen The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, you know that Alan Ritchson stole the show. However, Henry Cavill did something arguably better. He made a convincing case that he has the charm, physicality, and humor to be the next James Bond.