There were many superhero fans (such as myself) who didn’t think it would happen, but Henry Cavill has finally returned to the role of Superman. The fan-favorite actor reprised the role for a cameo appearance in Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam. There was a lot of uncertainty regarding his return, as reports from the past few years seemed to indicate that he would not be returning. We know that fans had mixed feelings during that timespan, but you have to wonder how Cavill himself was feeling. To that point, the DC actor recalled how he handled his relationship with the character during that time
Henry Cavill remained relatively civil whenever he addressed his future as Superman following his appearance in the 2017’s Justice League. It seemed as though anytime he was asked about a potential return, he would share minimal thoughts, without making any specific mention of Warner Bros and the state of its DC franchise. His rare words on the topic from 2017 to now don’t mean he’d washed his hands of the rhero, though. As Cavill explained, he was doing his best to “hold onto” the role amid his hiatus from it:
As an actor, you have to learn that there are things out of your control, no matter what you may think, no matter how your performance was, no matter what factor were not in your control in the first place, no matter how the audience feels. It was something which I had to very gently hold onto in my heart, because I didn’t know whether I would have the opportunity to play it again…[But] the opportunity was very important to get again, and I’m very, very lucky and feel very privileged to have that opportunity now.
The sentiments that the 39-year-old actor shared with Deadline may bring some tears to fans’ eyes. It’s pretty heartwarming to know that he tried to keep hope alive over the past several years. It’s always been clear that he takes this role very seriously, and these comments are collectively a testament to that commitment and passion.
Before returning for Black Adam, Henry Cavill took a very admirable approach to addressing his future as Superman. In 2020, for instance, he stated that he would not troll the fans about it, despite being “tempted,” because doing so would be “immoral.” Aside from that, Cavill would occasionally share his hopes of returning to the role of Kal-El. And for his sake, it’s a good thing that The Rock eventually came into the picture.
Dwayne Johnson had reportedly been trying to get the actor back into the role of Supes for some time. When The Rock reacted to the character’s return, he posted a tweet, saying that he and his collaborators “fought for years” to bring the Enola Holmes actor back in the fold. Johnson’s producer partner, Hiram Garcia, gushed about seeing the star in his red and blue costume again. While the iconic character only briefly appeared in Black Adam’s end-credits scene, it would seem that this is only the beginning of something bigger for him.
Henry Cavill has since teased a “bright future” for his iteration of Superman, and Warner Bros. is apparently working to make that happen. Just recently, company CEO David Zaslav shared his desire for sequels, so it sounds like things are moving in the right direction. With so much happening now, you can’t help but be happy for Cavill, especially considering that he tightly clung to the hope while his status with DC was up in the air.
Black Adam is now playing in theaters, and those who want to check out Henry Cavill’s past DC outings can stream them on HBO Max.
