Henry Cavill’s star has been on the rise since he debuted in his role as Superman in 2013’s Man of Steel. The actor had already performed in several big-screen roles when Man of Steel was released, but his flawless portrayal of the last son of Krypton saw Cavill become a recognizable figure.
Cavill went on to portray Superman in several other DC films, including Zach Snyder’s Justice League. He continued his journey toward becoming a household name after playing Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s The Witcher, which was the platform’s most-viewed original series until it was unseated in 2020 by Bridgerton.
The Witcher’s success has launched Cavill’s career to previously unseen heights. He has a slew of box office-breaking roles lined up, from season 2 of The Witcher to an Enola Holmes sequel, the Highlander reboot, and a highly anticipated upcoming spy thriller called Argylle.
Despite numerous memorable roles in the years since he first sauntered onto screens in 2001’s Vendetta, the popular actor is best known for his stint as the Man of Steel. People loved his more nuanced take on one of America’s favorite superheroes, and have never stopped clamoring for his next on-screen appearance as the Man of Tomorrow. News of Warner Bros’ plan to debut a Black Superman film was met with disappointment—not at the notion of another far-too-rare Black superhero, but at the lack of Cavill’s involvement.
The announcement of a new Superman seemed to many fans to be the final nail in Cavill’s Super-sized coffin. They saw it as news that he’d donned the skin-tight red and blue suit for the last time, and many mourned his far-too-brief stint as the superhero.
A recent interview seems to indicate that all hope is not lost, however, delighting fans and stirring up theories about whether another Cavill-helmed Superman film is in our future. Warner Bros has yet to comment on the possibility, but Cavill noted, in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, that he would love to make a return as Superman.
Noting the dissatisfaction many fans felt with Man of Steel’s final moments, Cavill told reporter James Hibberd that he would “love” to return to the role. The film ended with the death of Zod at Superman’s hands, a moment that was intended as a setup for future growth of the character.
“There is still a lot of storytelling for me to do as Superman, and I would absolutely love the opportunity,” Cavill told Hibberd. “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. 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.’”
Fans took to social media in the hours after the interview went live to share their support for Cavill. Noting that “the best DC character is on the sidelines,” fans urged Warner Bros. to greenlight a sequel to Man of Steel.
Cavill’s passion for all things geek bleeds through every word of his interview with Hibberd, as does his love for the role of Superman. He emphasized that he feels the character he helped create for Man of Steel has more to say and stressed his desire to return to the character for a follow-up film.
Given his excellent grasp of the character, paired with his passion for the role, Warner Bros. would be foolish to deny him the opportunity.