The future of Superman in the DCEU is a mystery right now, but if it was up to Henry Cavill, he’d be playing the Man of Steel for lightyears to come. For a while, rumors have swirled that Warner Bros. wants to move on from Zack Snyder’s interpretation of the Last Son of Krypton and reboot the character, but Cavill has always maintained that he’s still attached to the role and he’s not letting go of it.
In a new interview with Patrick Stewart in Variety’s Actors on Actors issue, the British star spoke about how being Superman means he has a responsibility to always embody the character to some extent, especially around young fans. Not that this is a burden to him, as he hopes to keep on playing Kal-El for “years to come.”
“I’ve always been a fan of Superman. 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 the years to come.”
Cavill went on to explain how playing Superman has made a big impact on both his Hollywood career and on himself in his everyday life, with the actor believing that portraying a character so good-natured has helped him become a better person.
“My life has changed dramatically because of it. And it has given me plenty of opportunity for 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. 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 make sure you are a better person. I think that’s all we can do in life.”
Whatever you think of the divisive presentation of Supes in Snyder’s movies, it’s always been clear that Cavill absolutely understands Superman and what he stands for as well as his importance to the fans, and these comments to Variety once again prove that. Generally, public favor seems on his side, too, with most fans wanting to see him get at least one more shot at starring in his own solo film as the hero. Whether Warner Bros. will commit to such a project, though, is the big question.
We’ll definitely be seeing him again in the Justice League Snyder Cut, but it remains to be seen whether or not Cavill will be inhabiting the part of Superman for years to come.