Zack Snyder knew Henry Cavill was the next best Man of Steel when he donned a replica of Christopher Reeve’s iconic Superman suit in the first test. Even netizens witnessed shockwaves when the image posted by Snyder emerged online back in 2014. But while Cavill’s physique flawlessly fit the suit, DC fans claimed that Reeve was the irreplaceable embodiment of Superman.
Waging debate on X, fans claimed that Christopher Reeve was the best personification of Superman, followed by Brandon Routh in the second position. Discussing the minute details that transformed Reeve from Clark Kent to a completely different character, fans implied that it’s the one mistake that Henry Cavill made by not following.
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Henry Cavill’s One Mistake While Playing Superman
With James Gunn preparing for his upcoming Superman: Legacy featuring David Corenswet as the new Man of Steel, it’s time to look back at the veteran stars who delivered prolific performances as the DC character. We have Corenswet’s predecessor – Henry Cavill in line as one of the best Superman actors.
However, while the British actor quickly became the face of Superman for modern audiences, he somehow couldn’t match the persona of Christopher Reeve and Brandon Routh, as per fans’ claims. Waging a debate on X, DC fans claimed that while Cavill did a phenomenal job, he comes nowhere close to Reeve.
Also read: Former Superman Actor Warned David Corenswet to Not Repeat Henry Cavill’s Mistake
According to fans, Christopher Reeve had the aura and the ability to simply transform into a completely different version from Clark Kent, which apparently Henry Cavill failed to do. Although Cavill is hailed for his physicality and warrior-like nature, Reeve has the ability to remove his glasses, straighten his posture, and transform from Clark Kent to Superman in front of our eyes.
Christopher Reeve Became the Fan-Favorite Superman
Discussing how Christopher Reeve could literally transform into an unrecognizable version from Clark Kent, fans stated that it’s the one mistake that Henry Cavill made throughout his DC films. Netizens believe there’s a subtle catch in playing the Man of Steel since the role brings much more than just the sum of his powers to the screen.
Thus, it’s the responsibility of the actors who take up the role to convey the embodiment flawlessly and offer more than just specs removal as a process of transformation. Quite certainly, fans believe Christopher Reeve evidently brought more to the screen with his intellect and power, than any other actor.
“The back straightens, the shoulders rise, the chest juts out, the voice thickens, the jaw clenches, the posture becomes less fidgety & suddenly you are looking at a completely different character. You can’t direct such an interpretation. Christopher Reeve embodied that dual role.” a netizen shared.
Christopher Reeve removes his glasses, straightens his posture, and transforms from Clark Kent to SUPERMAN in front of our eyes.pic.twitter.com/oeWvjLQWy5
— All The Right Movies (@ATRightMovies) December 30, 2023
The back straightens, the shoulders rise, the chest juts out, the voice thickens, the jaw clenches, the posture becomes less fidgety & suddenly you are looking at a completely different character. You can’t direct such an interpretation. Christopher Reeve embodied that dual role.
— Terfa Tilley-Gyado (@TerfaTG) December 30, 2023
A great performance by Christopher Reeve. Very few actors can play 2 separate roles in the same film & make them very different characters. The switch between Superman & Clark was effortless for him. No one since has been able to nail it like he did, Brandon Routh coming closest. pic.twitter.com/mmWcC3NIqe
— Dan Nixon 🫲🏼🤚🏼🤜🏼🔰 (@theDanNixon) December 30, 2023
This is why Christopher Reeve was the best. He genuinely played two different characters and made the disguise more believable
— Chris (@cwbmufc) December 30, 2023
Christopher Reeve truly embodied the essence of Superman, leaving an indelible mark with his remarkable acting prowess.
— Muhammad Zubair (@MZaibi74) December 30, 2023
Further, DC fans hailed Brandon Routh as the next best Superman in line after Reeve, but before Henry Cavill. Praising his compassionate version of the character who believes in more than just saving the day, netizens argued that even Routh brought more to the role than Cavill ever did.
Thus, pointing out that one grave mistake that Henry Cavill made throughout his appearances, fans placed him in third position as the best Superman.
