Is it fair to say Henry Cavill can work any look at this point? Aside from being picture perfect in a Superman suit, the Justice League actor has proved it again and again. I’m also talking about his long white mane in The Witcher and that time he made building a gaming computer in a tank top an erotic affair. And most recently, he let his curls run wild for his Sherlock Holmes role in the Netflix hit, Enola Holmes.
Though as you can imagine, looking that good takes hours at the gym, and spandex is far from the most comfy type of clothing to have on for long days on set. Now, Cavill has discussed why his suit for Enola Holmes wasn’t any easier to slide into:
I think it was pretty uncomfortable for Consolata [Boyle], the costume designer. It’s like, ‘How am I going to make these clothes fit?’ Like, c’mon, this is not the right build for a Victorian man. You know what? It’s no different from trying to squeeze it into a tight blue suit. In fact, they fit a lot more easily.
While speaking to Collider, Cavill admitted that his period-accurate three piece suits may have actually been worse than Superman’s costume. I’ve never really thought about this before, but it’s true. Rarely do we see muscled-up men in Victorian clothing in movies like Enola Holmes. Men of this status and era certainly didn’t have a gym to go to or do much heavy lifting for that matter. Sherlock’s pacing around London with Watson certainly doesn’t measure up to Superman size.
Even so, we’re delighted Henry Cavill was cast in support of Millie Bobby Brown’s leading role. It’s certainly a more affectionate version of the detective than we’ve ever seen, as it's told through the eyes of his younger sister, Enola. This shift for the Sherlock story led Conan Doyle’s estate to actually sue Netflix for giving Sherlock feelings.
When Cavill was asked about the lawsuit, he said that was above his pay grade. Though he has offered insight into the process of crafting his character, which he explained was initially more emotional than what was placed in the final product. Cavill and the filmmakers wanted to tap into his own experiences and connections with his family. But as he said:
He’s still this eccentric, odd, weird, aloof genius detective, as far as the outside world – as far as anyone else—is concerned, but his relationship with Enola is very specific and very unique.
Aside from nailing his looks, Cavill taking on a handful of iconic characters over the years has been a sincere pleasure because of the depth he brings to them through his performances. He’s already throwing his martini glass in the ring for James Bond as well, after being nominated by the internet.
Cavill is currently filming Season 2 of The Witcher, and we’ll see him play Superman in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, coming to HBO Max in 2021. Until then, weigh in on your favorite Henry Cavill look by voting in our poll below.
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