SUPERMAN: Henry Cavill's DCEU Appearances Ranked From Worst To Best According To Rotten Tomatoes

Henry Cavill's stint as Superman has officially reached its end, but looking back at his time in the DCEU, how do the movies he starred in all stack up against each other according to Rotten Tomatoes?

By JoshWilding - Dec 15, 2022 12:12 PM EST

Filed Under: Superman

Did you know that Henry Cavill has only starred in one Fresh DCEU movie? Despite playing Superman for nearly a decade, the actor really didn't have the easiest ride in this now-defunct franchise, and while we're sure he's upset that his return has been scrapped, it may also come as a relief.

Despite primarily being part of movies deemed "Rotten" by critics, the British actor really gave the Man of Steel his all and clearly cared a great deal about the character.

Warner Bros. didn't utilise him in the way he deserved, with a mere three appearances between 2013-2017, and then a five-year wait for a brief cameo in a terrible movie. Needless to say, seeing how these various projects all compare according to those all-important Rotten Tomatoes scores makes for interesting reading, hence why we've collected them here for you.

To take a look through this ranking, all you guys need to do is click the "Next" button below!

Before We Get Started...

These don't quite warrant "Honourable Mentions," but Henry Cavill's Superman has technically made two additional cameo appearances throughout the DCEU.

The first came in Shazam! (90%) when a stand-in was used for the Man of Tomorrow's visit to Billy Batson's school. It's believed Cavill was approached, but clashes over money meant it didn't work out. Superman would later show up for a shadowy cameo in the Peacemaker (94%) finale, though he was hidden in shadow alongside Batman and Wonder Woman.

We're not going to count either of these in this ranking, though it's ironic that both projects would serve as his best-reviewed DCEU appearances had we actually seen Cavill's face.

5. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

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Score: 29%

Rotten or Fresh: Rotten

Critics Consensus: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice smothers a potentially powerful story -- and some of America's most iconic superheroes -- in a grim whirlwind of effects-driven action.

We know many of you will disagree, but Batman v Superman gets a bad rap. Yes, there's a lot about the movie that doesn't work, but small moments (like Lex Luthor's pee and the whole "Martha" debacle) have been blown out of proportion and made much worse than they actually were.

Doomsday did look pretty dire, but Batman's fight with Superman was a sight to behold, as was the Trinity assembling for the first time on screen. Sadly, the movie is relentlessly grim at times, but Zack Snyder delivered on that title and Cavill did some impressive work picking up with this character again after Man of Steel.

4. Black Adam

Score: 39%

Rotten or Fresh: Rotten

Critics Consensus: Black Adam may end up pointing the way to an exciting future for DC films, but as a standalone experience, it's a wildly uneven letdown.

There's not a lot to talk about here as this hugely publicised cameo was only really a few seconds of yet another bad DCEU movie. Black Adam had little in the way of redeeming qualities outside of Dwayne Johnson's performance, hence why he hyped up Cavill's long-awaited Superman return to such a large degree.

We loved seeing the actor suited up again (especially with a brighter costume), but aren't convinced the Man of Steel working for Amanda Waller or being lined up as Black Adam's next punching bag was a wise creative decision.

3. Justice League

Score: 39%

Rotten or Fresh: Rotten

Critics Consensus: Justice League leaps over a number of DC movies, but its single bound isn't enough to shed the murky aesthetic, thin characters, and chaotic action that continue to dog the franchise.

Say what you will about Joss Whedon's Justice League - and we really don't have anything particularly nice to share - but the filmmaker's reshoots certainly gave us the more hopeful Superman many fans wanted. It was somewhat ruined by that distracting and embarrassing CGI jaw, of course, but there were glimmers of the Kal-El the world needs at times here.

As the movie's MacGuffin, the actor didn't get really get the opportunity to sink his teeth into the greatest of material, but it was yet another solid performance with a few fan-pleasing moments (such as that race with The Flash).

2. Man of Steel

Score: 56%

Rotten or Fresh: Rotten

Critics Consensus: Man of Steel's exhilarating action and spectacle can't fully overcome its detours into generic blockbuster territory.

Now nearly a decade old, Man of Steel was Cavill's DCEU introduction and that franchise's equivalent to Iron Man. Clearly not planned as the opening chapter in a shared world, it's a relatively standalone tale that offers a frustratingly slow take on Superman's origin, expanding on what happened on Krypton and waiting until Clark Kent is in his 30s before he suits up.

There's a lot to enjoy, however, including the hero's first flight, Cavill's earnest performance, and some stunning visuals. It's just a shame the destruction of Metropolis and the way Superman "defeated" General Zod has overshadowed the movie with such a large amount of controversy.

1. Zack Snyder's Justice League

Score: 71%

Rotten or Fresh: Fresh

Critics Consensus: Zack Snyder's Justice League lives up to its title with a sprawling cut that expands to fit the director's vision -- and should satisfy the fans who willed it into existence.

Zack Snyder's Justice League was vastly superior to Joss Whedon's cut, but didn't really give Superman that much more to do! He had a black costume in place of the red and blue, and the final battle played out a little differently, though there was nothing extra here to really blow the minds of fans.

Cavill didn't return for any additional photography (unlike Ben Affleck, Amber Heard, and Jared Leto), but we did get a glimpse at what Snyder had planned for his Man of Steel. That involved a villainous turn and falling to Darkseid's will - not quite the optimistic future for the hero we know Cavill wanted.

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SUPERMAN: Henry Cavill's DCEU Appearances Ranked From Worst To Best According To Rotten Tomatoes

Henry Cavill's stint as Superman has officially reached its end, but looking back at his time in the DCEU, how do the movies he starred in all stack up against each other according to Rotten Tomatoes?

Before We Get Started...

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