Although his DC films have thus far required him to maintain a somewhat grim expression at almost every turn, Henry Cavill has never publicly shied away from his unabashed love for the Man of Steel. His enthusiasm for Superman is palpable, and he has a clear understanding of the character's sheer iconography. With that in mind, the character turns 79-years-old this month, and Cavill has taken to social media to open up about Superman's legacy and the history of the character. Here's what he had to say.
Henry Cavill's picture likely comes from the set of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, or Justice League. It probably isn't a shot from the Man of Steel set, simply because that suit didn't have nearly as stark of a color contrast between its shades of red and blue. In his post, Cavill commemorates the 79th anniversary of the Last Son of Krypton with a brief rundown of the character's humble beginnings in the minds of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster before becoming one of the flagship heroes of Detective Comics. As I said before: it's pretty clear that Henry Cavill loves this character.
Of course, the rest is history for the Man of Steel. Superman has gone on to become arguably the most instantly recognizable superhero of all time, and he has embarked on an insane number of adventures under the guidance of countless artists. This particular hero means a lot of different things to a lot of different people -- which obviously explains why audiences have become so protective of him throughout his tenure in the DCEU.
On that note -- and on the heels of this Superman commemoration -- the silver screen future of the character may be brighter than ever. We haven't seen any Justice League footage of the iconic hero, but early promotional images have hinted at a considerably lighter version of Superman who will smile more than he did in Man of Steel or Batman V Superman.
We may soon see a version of Superman that DC fans have come to know and love over the course of the last 79 years. If DC continues to embrace lightness and hope in the way that Patty Jenkins has with Wonder Woman, then Henry Cavill can offer us a more classical version of Clark Kent who believes in truth, justice, and the American way. Cavill has proven time and time again that he can turn on a whimsical sense of boyish charm when he needs to, so it would be a waste to keep a permanent scowl on his Man of Steel going into the future. We're excited to see what happens with this character next, and we think it will make Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster very proud.
Henry Cavill is probably going to pop up as Superman next when Zack Snyder's Justice League hits theaters later this year on November 17, 2017. Considering how things left off for the character, we'll have to wait and see how that particular storyline pans out.
