Henry Cavillwants to continue playing Superman for “years to come,” the star ofMan of Steel,Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeandJustice Leaguehas said ina new interview.
The 37-year-old British actor sat down withPatrick Stewartfor Variety’s Actors on Actors issue, and Stewart knows a thing or two about playing an iconic superhero, having played Professor Charles Xavier in sevenX-Menmovies.
It was directorZack Snyderwho cast Cavill as Superman, and the actor first donned the red cape for 2013’sMan of Steel– his only solo outing as the heroic comic book character.
“My life has changed dramatically because of it, said Cavill, adding that “it has given me plenty of opportunity for [other] roles, and yeah, it’s been one of those characters which changed the entire course of my career. I’m incredibly grateful for it, and it’s also taught me a lot about myself.”
Cavill said he’s “always been a fan of Superman” and that he welcomes the responsibility that comes with playing the character. “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. 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.”
Cavill takes the responsibility of playing Superman so seriously that he looks at the character as a kind of personal role model.
“He’s so good, he’s so kind, and when you start to compare yourself to him, because you’re playing him, you start to really look inwards. You say, ‘Am I a good person? Can I be a good enough person to play Superman?’ And if you ever hear a whisper in there which is like, ‘Hmm, hold on a second. Maybe not,' then you adjust it, and you ensure you are a better person. I think that’s all we can do in life,” said Cavill, who has been a model citizen as far as Warner Bros. is concerned.
As of right now, there are no plans for Cavill to star in a properMan of Steelsequel, though the character is expected to cameo in an upcoming DC movie. My money is onShazam! 2, as Superman appeared at the very end of the first film, albeit from the neck down. Sure, he could always pop up inAquaman 2orBlack Adam, but timing-wise, it’s theShazam!sequel that makes the most sense and would benefit the most from a Superman cameo. After all,Aquamangrossed more than $1 billion even though it was terrible, andBlack Adamstars box office drawDwayne Johnson, so ‘nuff said right there.
Even when Warners announced plans to develop a zillion comic book movies, none of which were aMan of Steelsequel, Cavill remained a class act in public, and a solid ambassador for both the character and DC movies in general. Cavill has a bit more clout than he did a few years ago now that he has a hit Netflix series on his resume inThe Witcher, not to mention a badass turn oppositeTom CruiseinMission: Impossible - Fallout. Here’s hoping he gets another chance to shine as Superman, and not just in a cameo, but in a full-fledged film. And no, I’m not talking aboutThe Snyder Cut, although if youclick here, Cavill has a few words about that strange ongoing saga.
