The DC Extended Universe has no shortage of compelling heroes, and Superman remains one of the most beloved. Henry Cavill has played the character in a number of DCEU projects, and he could very well appear as Superman again. If he does, the actor has an idea of where he’d like to take his story — and his suggestion would certainly add more depth to the Man of Steel.
There’s been a lot of debate over whether Henry Cavill will return as the DCEU’s Superman, especially now that the actor has taken on other long-term roles like Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher.
Cavill himself seems game to reprise his DCEU role. In fact, he’s frequently expressed enthusiasm about a Man of Steel sequel. However, reports suggest that Cavill’s hero won’t show up in any of the DCEU projects slated to arrive in the near future — including Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
With that in mind, one has to wonder if Warner Bros. Pictures has any intentions of keeping Cavill’s character in the fold. The studio certainly has plenty of other heroes to explore. It’s also developing a new Superman movie with a Black lead at the helm. There’s certainly room in the DCEU for multiple iterations of the character, but whether that’s the path Warner Bros. plans on taking remains a mystery.
Henry Cavill knows where he’d like to take the character
Given the uncertainty surrounding Henry Cavill’s Superman, it’s possible Zack Snyder’s Justice League is the last we’ve seen of him. But should he return, the actor has ideas about where he’d like to take his character.
During an interview with Collider, the Man of Steel star admitted he wants to see the hero grow in a way that’s similar to the comics.
“I had a bit more of a gentleness to the tone of the thing, but I would love to have the opportunity to play the Superman that we all know and love from the comics, as a continuation of his development and we see the hero,” he explained.
In particular, Cavill’s interested in exploring Superman’s idealism in more depth — and contrasting it with the hard realities superheroes often face:
“It’s just about finding the right hooks to have a character that is as good and idealistic as Superman, that there are wonderful opportunities to delve into what it’s like to exist as him and those hardships that come with that. When you have to save everyone, how hard is that on you? That could be an interesting line to run.”
Fans haven’t gotten to see Cavill explore that aspect of being a hero, so it would be interesting to see that side of the DCEU’s Superman. Could it actually happen?
Will Henry Cavill play Superman again?
‘Shazam 2’ director David F. Sandberg trolls fans asking if Henry Cavill will appear as Superman ???? pic.twitter.com/gED1ah6jV5
— ScreenTime (@screentime) June 7, 2021
With no word on future appearances from Henry Cavill’s Superman, it’s hard to say if the actor will return to the DCEU. He’s been vocal about his desire to continue Man of Steel‘s story. He even told The Hollywood Reporter that he believes there’s more to do on that front:
“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.”
Fans calling for a sequel — or at least a cameo in another film — are on the same page. But ultimately, it’s up to Warner Bros. Pictures to make it happen.
