James Bond is one of the most sought-after roles in film history. With a film series that spans over fifty years, this slick spy has captivated countless audiences the world over. It's not surprising, then, he's seen various actors play him over the years. No two portrayals are the same, and everyone has their favorite.

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Far more varied, however, are all the actors who didn't play the role. Numerous stars have circled 007 throughout the series' history, dating all the way back to Dr. No. While they obviously didn't pan out, it is interesting to think about how different the movies would have been. So much of Bond hinges on the actor's screen presence. Who knows what some of these stars would have brought to the espionage icon?

10 Steve Reeves

Steve Reeves as Hercules

First impressions are important, which is why they had to find the right guy for the debut Bond film. It makes sense, then, that the producers of Dr. No wanted Steve Reeves. Not only was he a world-class bodybuilder, but he used his immense physicality to wow audiences in several movies, most famously Hercules. A big name like that would be a safe bet to start a franchise.

The problem was that Reeves was too big (literally and monetarily). His asking price was higher than producers would pay. In the end, they went with relative unknown Sean Connery, another bodybuilder who would work for less. Yep, the best Bond almost lost out to a demigod.

9 Dick Van Dyke

Dick Van Dyke as Bert in Mary Poppins

It doesn't get more bizarre than this. Not only is Dick Van Dyke a born-and-bred American (and a comedic actor), but his faux-English accent in Mary Poppins is one of the most notoriously bad in cinematic history. Nevertheless, producers phoned him amid rumblings that Connery might leave the franchise.

According to Van Dyke, they offered him the role right then and there. It didn't take much to nix this plan, though, as he only had to remind them of his accent in Mary Poppins. They acknowledged he was right and quickly rescinded the offer. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

8 Terence Stamp

Terence Stamp in a photoshoot

This English actor is best known for his villainous roles, most notably the tyrannical General Zod in Superman II, but he could have gone down as one of cinema's greatest heroes. Once Connery left the series, producer Harry Saltzman approached Stamp to replace him.

Unfortunately, the actor's unconventional ideas drove Saltzman away. To ease folks into a new face for Bond, Stamp would begin the film disguised as a Japanese warrior (as per one of the books). He'd then shed this smokescreen once audiences had gotten used to him. He never got a callback. Ironically, though, Connery was disguised as a Japanese man in the previous film, You Only Live Twice. Maybe the producers wanted to avoid redundancy.

7 Adam West

Adam West in the 1960s and the 2010s

Another American, this TV icon definitely had the suave charm for the slick spy. He'd famously demonstrated this in the '60s Batman show. Even to this day, he remains perhaps the most charismatic rendition of the iconic hero.

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It was that charisma that attracted producers. Following On Her Majesty's Secret Service, they needed someone to fill the void left by George Lazenby's short-lived tenure. They turned to West, but he promptly turned them down. Like many people, he felt that Bond should be a Brit.

6 Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit

This mustachioed maverick was also in the running to replace Lazenby. Like with West, however, he turned down the producers' offer because he wasn't British.

Keep in mind, this was before Reynolds became a big star in flicks like Smokey and the Bandit and Sharky's Machine. Casting him was more of a risk, so the filmmakers must have really wanted him for the character. In the end, though, James Bond was just one of many iconic roles that Reynolds turned down.

5 Michael Caine

Michael Caine in The Ipcress File

Considering the soft-spoken mentor roles he's taken in recent years, it's hard to imagine Michael Caine as a cold-blooded killer. However, that's the type of character he played in The Ipcress File and its sequels. Sadly, that's also why Caine turned down the role of Bond after Connery left (the second time).

He'd already played a more understated counterpart to the super spy in three films. These flicks even had many of the same crewmembers from the 007 series. Jumping over to Bond would have taken Caine into typecasting territory, which he wanted to avoid.

4 Sam Neill

Sam Neill in the 1990s and the 2010s

Roger Moore held onto the Bond role for a while, but his comical era eventually came to an end when producers went in a darker direction. A new actor was needed for The Living Daylights, but one who couldn't be less interested was Sam Neill. Despite that, his agent pushed him to audition, a move which he regrets to this day.

Thankfully, the New Zealand star made his name a few years later in Jurassic Park and The Hunt for Red October. The latter film saw him as the second-in-command to Sean Connery. What a coincidence.

3 Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson in the 1980s and the 2010s

The New Yorker with an Aussie upbringing was among the more recognizable action stars of the '80s. The Mad Max trilogy put him on the map, and things only went up from there. This placed him in the running to reinvigorate the 007 series after Roger Moore bowed out. Ultimately, though, his iconic status worked against him.

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Producers called him "too famous" (and "too short") for the spy. They feared Gibson's star power would overshadow Bond's. Good thing he turned it down for a simple lack of interest. The part eventually went to Timothy Dalton, and Gibson went on to headline Lethal Weapon. Everyone wins.

2 Henry Cavill

Henry Cavill in The Tudors

After the Pierce Brosnan era fizzled out, director Martin Campbell returned to reboot the series after having already done so in GoldenEye. For Casino Royale, his two contenders were Daniel Craig and Henry Cavill. Sadly, he ruled out the latter for being too young and "chubby," and the role went to Craig.

It wasn't a good year for Cavill as he lost out another tentpole hero in Superman Returns. Granted, he later played Superman (albeit a more homicidal version) in Man of Steel. Maybe Bond will also circle back around. He can add it to the list of iconic heroes on his resume.

1 Clive Owen

Clive Owen in Croupier

This imposing Englishman came as close to being Bond without actually being Bond. Ever since his appearance in Croupier, rumors and fan castings swirled. This led many to believe he was on the shortlist for Casino Royale. Think of today's Idris Elba hype back in 2006.

In spite of this passion, Owen remained against taking the 007 mantle. He didn't believe he or anyone else could top Sean Connery. That's a fair point, but it didn't stop him from cheekily paying homage to Bond in Shoot 'Em Up and the Pink Panther remake. If nothing else, these give an enticing glimpse at what could have been.

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