There has been a ton of speculation over the years about whether Henry Cavill is done playing Superman – or if he is open to donning the cape again.
Henry took on the role of the superhero and his alter ego, Clark Kent, in the DC films Man Of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017) and the director’s cut of the latter film, Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021).
Following the release of 2017’s Justice League, rumors started circulating about Henry and if he was done as Superman. A report back in 2018 emerged suggesting that he was, indeed, done with the role. The report from THR at the time said that the actor was “parting ways with Warner Bros” and that “contract talks between Cavill’s WME reps and Warners broke down, and the door is now closing on other potential Superman appearances.”
A studio source was even quoted at the time as saying:
“Superman is like James Bond, and after a certain run you have to look at new actors.”
Following the release of that report, Henry made it known that nothing was definite. In an interview for Men’s Health magazine’s December 2019 issue, he stated:
“I’m not going to sit quietly in the dark as all the stuff is going on. I’ve not given up the role. There’s a lot I have to give for Superman yet. A lot of storytelling to do. A lot of real, true depths to… the character I wasn’t able to get into.
I want to reflect the comic books. That’s important to me. There’s a lot of justice to be done for Superman. The status is: You’ll see.”
Fast forward to now, and Henry has issued an official statement on his stance regarding taking on the mantle of Superman once more. In a statement to THR, he made it clear that he is very much open. Here’s what Henry said:
“There is still a lot of storytelling for me to do as a Superman, and I would absolutely love the opportunity. The killing of Zod gave a reason for the character never to kill again. Superman falling to the ground and screaming afterward — I don’t think that was originally in the script, but I wanted to show the pain he had. I did far more emotional takes they didn’t choose; tears were happening. He just killed the last remaining member of his species. That’s the choice he made in that moment, and he’ll never do that again.
There’s an opportunity for growth after that, to explore the psyche of Superman as a deep, seemingly invulnerable god-like being but with real feeling on the inside. As I always say, ‘The cape is still in the closet.’”
