Henry Cavill Hopes To Play Superman Again

Henry Cavill says he hopes to play Superman again in the future. The 37-year-old British actor first donned the red cape in 2013's Man of Steel, the rebooted Superman series. Since Man of Steel, Cavill reprised the role two more times, in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017). Before Cavill, the character was portrayed by Brandon Routh in 2006's Superman Returns. Cavill's Man of Steel put into motion the DC Extended Universe and served as the first movie of the shared cinematic universe.

Rumors of Cavill's return have been floating since his last portrayal of Superman in Justice League. In May, it was reported that Cavill was in talks to reprise his role once again. However, all that is know is he wasn't considered for a Man of Steel 2, Wonder Woman 1984, The Batman, or The Suicide Squad. The news could point to Superman playing the role of connective tissue throughout the DCEU movies, similar to Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Henry Cavill sat down with Patrick Stewart on a remotely filmed episode of Variety's Actors on Actors and shared that he would like to play Superman again. The two actors spent time discussing their life-changing roles, with Stewart talking about Picard on Star Trek, and Cavill talking about Superman. Stewart says for actors, a part may come along that has an enormous impact on future roles. He asked if that happened for Cavill with Superman. Cavill replied, "I’ve always been a fan of Superman. With a character like that, you carry the mantle with you off set. And it becomes part of your public representation. When you meet children, children don’t necessarily see me as Henry Cavill, but they might see Superman, and there’s a responsibility which comes with that." Cavill continues, "Because it’s such a wonderful character, it’s actually a responsibility I’m happy to have, and I hope that I get to play more of Superman in years to come."

It's essential to address that Cavill stated he'd want to portray the role "in years to come," and not "for years to come." The distinction is important because Cavill is expressing interest in playing a part in any opportunities that may arise in the near future, instead of claiming any sense of real ownership over the role. After all, Superman is a character portrayed on both the big screen and television by a long list of actors. There is always a chance the role is given to another actor in future movies, especially with the numerous changes coming to the DCEU. The Batman franchise is an example that comes to mind, with Robert Pattinson replacing Ben Affleck as the titular character in the upcoming, The Batman. There have also been rumors that Warner Bros. doesn't have faith in a solo Superman movie starring Cavill.

While the quality and strength of the DCEU movie have long been debated by fans and critics alike, many do believe that the scripts from each of these movies didn't allow the talented actor to demonstrate his full range and ability. Cavill is currently the star of Netflix's hit series, The Witcher. Whether or not he reprises his role as Superman, Henry Cavill fans can still look forward to his expanding career.

Next: Henry Cavill Is Better Off With Netflix's Witcher Than DCEU's Superman

Source: Variety