The Hollywood Reporter recently caught up with Henry Cavill for a must-read profile, and you'd best believe the subject of Superman came up. We know Warner Bros. is set to introduce a Supergirl played by Sasha Calle in The Flash, while a movie written by Ta-Nehisi Coates will reinvent Clark Kent as a Black man in a period setting (Michael B. Jordan, meanwhile, is developing an HBO Max project focused on the alternate Earth Calvin Ellis).
As for the DC Extended Universe's original Superman, well, we're still not sure. Asked for his thoughts on a Black Man of Steel, Cavill told the trade: "It’s exciting - Superman’s far more than skin color. 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." Clearly, Cavill doesn't believe this closes the door on his iteration of Kal-El, as he noted that there's "still a lot of storytelling for me to do as a Superman."
"I would absolutely love the opportunity [to return]. 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. I did far more emotional takes they didn’t choose; tears were happening," Cavill recalled. "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.'"
It could be for that reason Cavill continues to choose his words about Justice League very carefully. While he has previously acknowledged the issues with Joss Whedon's version of the movie, the actor hasn't spoken out about that appalling CGI jawline or accusations regarding the filmmaker's conduct. He did, however, say that Zack Snyder did a "wonderful job" with the Snyder Cut.
Are you optimistic for a Man of Steel sequel starring Henry Cavill?
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