There are still many who have not been able to get over the fact that Henry Cavill will no longer be returning to the DCU as Superman, despite his promising cameo in Black Adam. This is mostly because people truly enjoyed seeing the actor get in character, put on his cape, and come to the aid of those in need, just like a perfect superhero. Many would even agree that Henry Cavill is the embodiment of Superman.
Zack Snyder is also of the same opinion as before the release of Man of Steel, he explained how his lead actor was “Superman-ish” in the best way possible. According to the director, Henry Cavill is kind of like Superman in the sense that he’s kind, humble, and naïve, all while asserting just the right amount of dominance needed to let people know to not walk all over you.
Zack Snyder Once Explained How Henry Cavill is “Superman-ish”
Zack Snyder joined Collider for an interview where he discussed the A to Z of Man of Steel (2013). Since the film was going to be the first time fans would see Henry Cavill as Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman, people didn’t really know what to expect.
When Collider asked Snyder what Cavill brought to Man of Steel, the director had the perfect response. He started off by stating that the actor is “Superman-ish” even in real life and then added that while Cavill will undoubtedly stop in his tracks to help a stranger change their flat tire, he wouldn’t let anyone take unfair advantage of him.
Snyder said,
“Henry is like, Superman-ish, you know, in his feel. He’s really kind. He’s incredibly humble in real life. He can project a naïveté, which is nice, without seeming naïve, [Laughs] which is really a difficult quality. I don’t feel like you can take advantage of him, but he’d still help you change your tire if you had a flat tire on the side of the road. There’s a fine line there.”
Clearly, Cavill was the perfect fit for the role. It looks like Snyder knew every little detail about his lead actor’s personality which may have played a huge role in picking Cavill out of the many who auditioned for Superman.
Henry Cavill Channels Superman While Making Tough Decisions
During his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Cavill revealed how Superman affected his life, particularly his decision-making skills, even when the actor was off-duty. Talking about his introduction to American football, the actor stated that as soon as he began gaining interest in the sport, he realized that he had to pick a team to support.
Cavill knew that his decision had to be rock-solid since you cannot just change your favorite sports team. That’s just absurd! Therefore, in order to make the difficult decision, the actor knew the reasoning had to be strong. Thus, he brought in Superman for help.
“I spend a lot of time over here, obviously. And I’d been watching some American football. I started to like the sport, and I realized I had to choose a team. And the only way I could choose a team was with something that was never going to change. It wasn’t gonna be, ‘My buddy likes this team’ or whatever it may be.” To help him decide, he asked himself, “What would Superman do?’”
He continued that while his life will keep changing, the one thing that will remain constant is his time as Superman. He then quickly made the connection of Clark Kent’s Kansas background to the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, and voila! Cavill had his favorite team!
“I figured, the one thing that won’t ever change in my life is the Superman aspect of it. And I figured Superman is from Kansas, the Chiefs, people in Kansas support the Chiefs. It just all added up.”
He also added that if Superman himself was a fan of football, he would definitely support the Kansas City Chiefs.
Man of Steel is available to stream on Netflix.
