Henry Cavill May Hang Up His Superman Cape Forever
DC and Marvel fans both understand the incredible attachment that audiences form with their on-screen superheroes. Once an actor is cast to bring these superheroes to life, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role.
Actor Henry Cavill was DC’s Superman for nearly a decade and fans were pretty happy with his performances. Since the Justice League premiered, rumors have swirled that Cavill may no longer be Warner Bros.’s top choice for the Kryptonian superhero. Will we never see Cavill wearing that “S” ever again? The answer is not clear.
Henry Cavill’s history as Superman
Since 2013, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has had one Man of Steel: Cavill. He certainly looked the part of Superman with his physique and acting skills. He also had the quirky charm of Clark Kent, pretty much making him the perfect choice for one of DC’s ultimate icons.
Cavill first hit the big screen as the Kryptonian superhero in the 2013 film, Man of Steel. The film focused on Superman’s origins, transitioning to his adult years. The story shows the Kent family’s struggle as they try to keep Clark’s identity a secret. It’s so important to them, in fact, that Jonathan Kent refuses to let Clark use his powers to save his life during a tornado. The loss of his adoptive father has a profound impact on Clark, leading him to wander the world alone.
In 2016, Cavill once again donned the red cape for Batman V. Superman. The sequel to Man of Steel added Batman into the mix, creating a conflict between the two superheroes. Batman felt that Superman’s battle with Zod created too much collateral damage, making Superman a danger to humanity. Eventually, the two worked together in a final battle with a monster created by Lex Luthor. Superman was weakened by Kryptonite, and the film ended with his death. Wonder Woman (played by Gal Gadot) also joined the DCEU in Batman V. Superman.
Fans rejoiced when Superman was resurrected in 2017’s Justice League. The superhero team uses The Flash’s powers and organic matter from the Kryptonian ship to bring Superman back to life.
Will Henry Cavill return?
In 2018, reports surfaced that Cavill was parting ways with the DCEU. At that time, Warner Bros. had been planning to have him make an appearance in the 2019 film, Shazam! Negotiations between Cavill’s reps and Warner Bros. ended poorly, and he was not a part of the project. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio cited “scheduling conflicts” as the reason behind the split.
It seems unlikely that scheduling was the real problem, as Cavill’s only project at that time was the Netflix series, The Witcher. Sources say that he actually signed on for The Witcher after the split with Warner Bros., leaving many to speculate about the real reason behind his departure as Superman.
A studio insider reported that Warner Bros. felt there were aspects of the previous DC films that just didn’t work, and they were looking to move in a new direction. It seems that two of the leading men–Cavill and Ben Affleck–are the parts of the equation that the studio wants to change. Both actors delivered strong performances, however, and many critics of the films felt that the plots were inconsistent and lacking excitement.
Last year, there was a lot of talk about a contract extension that would give us at least one more film with Cavill donning the red cape, but that’s looking highly unlikely right now. ScreenRant reported last month that Cavill will not be reprising his role in The Flash or any other upcoming DCEU projects.
What is Cavill working on now?
The Man of Steel star has been focusing most of his attention on the smash Netflix hit, The Witcher. The series is based on characters from the video game, and Cavill delivered an outstanding performance as Geralt of Rivia. Production for season two has been held up due to the pandemic and a variety of other problems, but fans are eagerly awaiting its debut on Netflix.
We also saw Cavill in a much different role on Netflix, playing Sherlock Holmes in the mysterious adventure, Enola Holmes. The movie centers around Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister, Enola (played by Stranger Things‘ Millie Bobby Brown). The film was such a success, Netflix recently announced that a sequel will be coming soon.
