With a seemingly new take on Superman coming from producer J.J. Abrams and writer Ta-Nahesi Coates, along with the announcement of a Michael B. Jordan Val Zod/Multiverse Superman TV series in the works, it would appear that “Man of Steel” actor Henry Cavill might be forced to retire his cape as Clark Kent. Well, according to the actor, he thinks there’s plenty of life left in his version of Supes, but he also agrees that the projects Warner Bros. seems to be working on sound pretty great too.
Speaking to THR, while promoting the release of the second season of his upcoming ‘Witcher’ TV series, Henry Cavill talked more about his desire to keep his cape and return as Superman in a future DCEU project. Though it’s clear there are no immediate plans to do so, but he thinks the multiverse is big enough for multiple folks wearing the ‘S’ on their chest.
“There is still a lot of storytelling for me to do as a Superman, and I would absolutely love the opportunity,” Cavill teased. “The killing of Zod [in ‘Man of Steel’] 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.’”
As mentioned, even though Cavill seems keen on returning to the role, it would appear WB is ready to move on, as the studio has begun development on multiple non-Cavill Superman projects. The studio is even introducing a big-screen Supergirl (played by Sasha Calle) in the upcoming ‘Flash’ film. And though the actor is happy to see the idea of a Black Superman happen, Cavill doesn’t think there should only be one Superman, right now.
“It’s exciting — Superman’s far more than skin color,” the actor added. “Superman is an ideal. Superman’s an extraordinary thing that lives within our hearts. Why not have multiple Supermen going on? Joaquin Phoenix did a wonderful Joker movie; so what if it’s not tied to the rest of [the franchise]? They have multiple Superman comic book storylines happening at the same time.”
Marvel Studios is clearly dipping its toes into the multiversal pool with its new film and TV projects. DC is already doing so with the upcoming “Flash” film. So, the idea that the world is going to be confused by multiple Superman films and TV series is far from a concern nowadays. So, perhaps Cavill will get his chance to don the cape again? We’ll just have to wait and see.
