Henry Cavill is sorely missed as the iconic superhero Superman in the DCU after his iteration of the character officially ended with his last appearance in Black Adam. The actor is not replaced by David Corenswet in James Gunn’s upcoming film Superman: Legacy, which gives a soft reboot to the DCU.
Cavill became the face of the DCU when he donned the red cape in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. The actor reprised his role in a few more films, with Snyder trying to travel his character arc of figuring out his powers as well as his place in the world. Cavill’s Superman was so young in his superheroic journey that the actor once called him an amateur.
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Henry Cavill’s Superman Was Vulnerable And An Amateur
Henry Cavill’s Superman differed from the ever-smiling, all-American superhero that the fans had grown to love in the comics and previous iterations. Actors like George Reeves, Christopher Reeves, and Brandon Routh played along this symbol of hope persona that Superman had and became iconic in the process. Cavill, however, had to struggle.
Zack Snyder set the Clark Kent story in a more dark, gritty, and realistic setting. The first film, Man of Steel explored Kent having trouble fitting in as he discovered his powers made him different. As the film progressed, he learned to channel his energy into the greater good and to protect humanity with the powers that he was blessed with.
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However, the sequel Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice dealt with how humans reacted to being among a being with such great power. Ben Affleck’s Batman represented a section of the world that saw Superman as a threat as he still failed to keep his powers in check and caused destruction. Cavill spoke about his character in the sequel to Entertainment Weekly,
“That’s his weakness, that he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. He doesn’t want to scare anyone, and in that, you can take advantage of him…This is someone who is a complete amateur, and he’s facing up against someone who is very well versed in the arts of war.”
The film then immortalizes Superman as a symbol of hope when he pays his ultimate sacrifice for humanity, setting up the founding principles of Justice League, which were explored in Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
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Henry Cavill’s Tenure As Superman In The DCU
Actor Henry Cavill is now synonymous with Superman after his portrayal in Zack Sndyer’s DCU. Though the actor was initially supposed to don the cape in McG’s Superman film, he was replaced after the director’s iteration was scraped in favor of Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, which saw Brandon Routh star in the film.
About the cancelation of the film, Cavill told MTV News way back in 2009,
“I was attached to the McG ‘Superman’ movie. Then Bryan Singer came on and took the helm and he made his movie. [The McG and Singer versions] were two different movies. So it wasn’t so much of a sting because it was like, ‘Oh, I got [the role],’ and then the movie just didn’t happen.”
The actor finally got to play the role in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, which became the foundation for the controversial DCU. Cavill’s characterization of Superman initially received mixed responses as it was a grittier take on the cheerful character. Cavill reprised the role in subsequent films in the franchise, making his last appearance in Black Adam.
Though he was set to return to the role after his cameo in Black Adam, with James Gunn rebooting the franchise, Cavill had to hang up the cape once again and finally say goodbye to the role. Gunn cast David Corenswet in the upcoming Superman: Legacy, which is set to focus on a younger Superman.
