Summary
- Henry Cavill's portrayal of Superman in the DCEU gained him significant recognition and fans, but plans for a Man of Steel sequel were dropped after changes in leadership at DC Studios.
- Cavill has been seen leaving Marvel Studios and has been rumored to be in talks with Disney for a secret MCU role, leading fans to speculate about potential Marvel characters he could play.
- While Cavill may not return as Superman, James Gunn and Peter Safran have expressed interest in working with him on another project in the future, leaving the door open for collaboration between Cavill and DC Studios in a different role.
Henry Cavill got his start in 2001, but fans really began to take notice of the actor when he appeared in the hit series The Tudors and Charles Brandon. It wasn't until he partnered with the DCEU, however, that more people began to take notice of him for his portrayal as Kal-El, aka Clark Kent, in Zack Snyder's 2013 film Man of Steel. Man of Steel is one of the first films from what was a complete brand overhaul for DCEU, and performed well enough to allow Cavill to return to the character in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opposite Ben Affleck's Batman and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman.
He once again returned to the red and blue suit for Zack Snyder's Justice League, and one last time as a cameo during Black Adam, starring Dwayne Johnson. There were plans for Henry Cavill to continue playing the role in a Man of Steel sequel, but that was ultimately decided against following the change in leadership at DC Studios.
With Henry Cavill's schedule suddenly lacking superhero roles, especially with him departing Netflix's on-screen adaptation of The Witcher, there is a possibility that he might be able to fill his schedule by switching teams and working for the MCU, an idea that fans seem to support.
Cavill Was Seen Leaving Marvel Offices In 2021
James Gunn and Peter Safran's takeover of DC Studios certainly shook things up, including dropping several projects that were already near completion, cancelations of existing properties, and recasting many beloved characters, including Superman.
Henry Cavill was certainly looking forward to his return to the character, but it seems like he has been keeping his options open since 2021 when he was seen exiting Marvel Studios surrounded by what was assumed to be the team that handles his career.
Henry Cavill is also known to be friends with the likes of Black Widows Scarlett Johansson and admitted that he gets excited when both Marvel and DC films do well. Some sources, including Daniel Richtman, have said that Cavill has been in talks with Disney.
Another source has said "Henry Cavill is talking to Disney about a secret role. He's actually in conversation with Marvel Studios for a secret MCU role," but they didn't reveal which role or project he may or may not be involved with.
Even his former manager Dany Garcia had posted on her Instagram that big things were in the works for Cavill, but that she was unable to share due to signing an NDA.
Fans Are Already Creating Images Of Him As Marvel Characters
Internet artists immediately began making fan art of Henry Cavill as several Marvel characters, including the likes of Hyperion, who is considered Marvel's version of Superman, and Captain Britain.
Cavill's name has also been brought up for Marvel's Phase 5, which closes out in 2024, as a potential casting choice for The Sentry. This character is also considered to be Marvel's version of Superman but with a dark twist when he slips into his Void personality.
Other actors that may possibly play this character include Alexander Skarsgard, Ryan Gosling, Keanu Reeves, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Another huge request from fans is for Cavill to play the popular X-Men character Cyclops.
For right now, it is currently unknown which of these characters, if any, Henry Cavill will bring to life on either the big or small screen, but he has expressed interest in playing Captain Britain, admitting that it "would be loads of fun to do a cool, modernized version of that."
He May Return To DC Studios, But Not As The Man Of Steel
Although Henry Cavill is not going to be returning to the DCU as Superman thanks to his replacement David Corenswet, James Gunn and Peter Safran have admitted that they are leaving the door open to working with him again on another project.
In fact, James Gunn admitted to discussing other roles with Henry Cavill and made sure to tell outlets that it is not for the Frankenstein project he is working on. Whether Cavill is open to returning to play another character is unclear, but he could be following in Jason Momoa's footsteps and opening the door to another character.
Some think he could play Jor-El, Superman's biological father from the planet Krypton that built the pod that sent Superman to Earth following the destruction of their home planet. Given that Cavill and David Corenswet do have similar appearances, it certainly is an option for Henry Cavill should the opportunity present itself.
And what about the second Man of Steel film? It was briefly confirmed that Henry Cavill was going to be able to reprise his role as Superman before it was announced that this was not the case, so it is highly unlikely that DC Studios will backtrack on that.
Fans will just have to wait and see what Cavill has in store for the future.
