The actor starred as Superman in Zack Snyder’s DCEU.
Henry Cavill became a household name when he starred as Superman in the DCU film Man of Steel. The Zack Snyder directorial received mixed responses when it was released but Cavill’s portrayal has since warmed up to fans, who were disappointed when Cavill departed from the role due to James Gunn’s DCU revamp.
While Cavill has often expressed his love for the role and how excited he was for it, he has also mentioned the downside to playing the role of Superman. Talking about the Superman curse, Cavill spoke about how the role and the expectations surrounding it have affected his personal life and the way people view him.
Henry Cavill’s Curse As An Actor
Henry Cavill
While Henry Cavill might find the role as a curse at times, his tryst with franchise roles started with him almost being cast as Superman in the unmade McG’s Superman film. Though Cavill was going to appear as the iconic superhero in the film, it fell through and the replacement, Bryan Singer chose to go with Brandon Routh.
Cavill would also be in the running for James Bond after the departure of Peirce Brosnan. However, the actor again lost the role to Daniel Craig and has since been rumored to be under consideration again after the departure of Craig. The actor was also in consideration for the role of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire but lost the role to Robert Pattinson.
The British actor was reportedly also the dream actor of author Stephanie Meyer for the role of Edward Cullen in the fantasy novel Twilight. However, by the time the novels were adapted to film, Cavill was too old to play the role and he lost it to Pattinson again. Cavill’s career has been filled with such jinxes, which finally took a turn for the better when he was cast in the TV show The Tudors.
Henry Cavill’s Superman Curse
Henry Cavill as Superman
Henry Cavill finally got his big breakthrough when he starred as Clark Kent a.k.a Superman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. Cavill’s role initially received mixed responses but the film was the beginning of the shared cinematic universe which was then known as DCEU. The actor reprised his role in films such as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and others.
While Cavill has been grateful for the role and has mentioned how he would love to keep doing it forever, he has also spoken about the dark side of being Superman. In an interview with The Guardian, he mentioned that being the character resulted in him constantly thinking about having to live up to those expectations.
“There’s a blessing in being Superman. You get more attention. But there’s also a curse, which is that you’d better f*cking look like Superman any time you need to get your kit off.”
Cavill has also been a victim of being typecast ever since he starred in the role of Superman. His other film roles have been Geralt the Witcher in Netflix’s fantasy series The Witcher and his role as Sherlock Holmes in the film Enola Holmes. He is all set to appear as a tough-guy actor in Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle.
The actor has not explored other territories such as the dramatic film and neither has he been offered such roles. He has appeared in films such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Mission Impossible: Fallout, where he has played similar tough-guy roles that make him an action star. The Superman curse in Henry Cavill’s case does not just affect his mental state, but also his career.
