Henry Cavill "wasn't ready" to play James Bond despite coming close to landing the coveted part.

The 'Man of Steel' star got through to the final audition stage with just him and Daniel Craig in the running to play 007 but Henry eventually lost out when Bond bosses chose the more experienced 'Layer Cake' actor to play the superspy in 2006's 'Casino Royale'.

However, Henry is adamant producers made the right choice. Speaking on the 'Happy Sad Confused' podcast, he explained: "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 [Craig], and I was the younger option. They obviously went with Daniel and I think it was an amazing choice to go with Daniel."

Henry went on to insist he may not have done the part of James Bond justice, adding: "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."

However, auditioning to play Bond and missing out didn't do Henry's career any harm as he went on to land the role of Superman in 2013's 'Man of Steel' which cemented his status as a leading man.

Looking back, Henry has no regrets over his failed Bond audition, adding: "It was a fun adventure at the time, and definitely gave me a boost to my career. That was the key element of it."

Henry went on to play Superman in a series of later movies and he's believed to be involved in a follow-up to 'Man of Steel'.