HENRY CAVILL SUPERMAN. The ax fell after several weeks of rumors, Henry Cavill will not finally return as Superman for the revival of the DC universe in the cinema. The actor had however announced his return in October 2022… What happened?
[Mis à jour le 15 décembre 2022 à 10h21] It was undoubtedly the role of his life. The one who had made him known to the general public in any case. The one who had made his fortune too. Since 2013, Henry Cavill played the role of Superman in the cinema for the needs of the adaptations of the DC universe. We had seen him in Man of Steel, the film which made him start in the role of Clark Kent / Superman, Batman v Superman opposite Ben Affleck but also Justice League and, more recently, in Black Adam the time of an appearance that confirmed his return under the cape of the superhero. The British actor had formalized the news at the end of October 2022 on his Instagram account, all smiles.
Since then, a lot has changed… Warner Bros. Discovery, new headed by David Zaslav after the merger of the two companies, has entrusted the reins of DC Studios to Peter Safran and James Gunn. Both have the heavy task of building the next ten years of production of adaptations of DC comics in films, series, video games and animated content. They are therefore working together to establish an editorial strategy that should bring the films adapted from the DC comics back to the fore. On December 15, 2022, James Gunn finally announced that Henry Cavill would not be reprising the role of Superman in future Warner/DC Studios projects as the future adaptation, which Gunn was writing, would center on Clark Kent’s younger years. The director-producer, however, claims to be a big fan of Cavill and leaves the door open for a future collaboration with the actor.
Henry Cavill, for his part, formalized the news with his fans on his Instagram account. “I just had a reunion with James Gunn and Peter Safran and I have some bad news. Ultimately, I won’t be returning as Superman. After the studio told me to announce my return in October, before their hiring, this news is not the easiest to digest, but that’s life. […] James and Peter must build a universe. I wish them and everyone involved in this new world the best.”
Biography of Henry Cavill – Born May 5, 1983 in Jersey, Channel Islands, Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill began his career performing in plays and musicals. In 2001, he landed a role in the film “Laguna”, directed by Dennis Berry. In “La Vengeance de Monte-Cristo” (2002), he played the role of Albert Mondego, the count’s son. Henry Cavill then turns in “I Capture The Castle” (2003), “Tristan and Yseult” (2006), “Stardust, the mystery of the star” (2007). It was the role of the Duke of Suffolk, Charles Brandon, in the series “The Tudors”, which made him known to the general public. Woody Allen integrates him into the cast of “Whatever Works” (2009). In 2011, we saw Henry Cavill in “Les Immortels” and “Sans Escape”. Considered “the unluckiest man in Hollywood” for his propensity to miss roles by a hair’s breadth, Henry Cavill is retained for the role of Clark Kent / Superman in “Man of Steel” (2013).
Subsequently, Henry Cavill starred in the film “The Man from UNCLE” by Guy Ritchie (2014) and “Batman vs. Superman” (2015). He takes over the role of the superhero in Justice League in 2017, which was filmed at the same time as that of Mission impossible: Fallout, in which he also plays. In 2018, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Henry Cavill is hanging up the cape and will no longer play Superman. He joined the cast of the series The Witcher the same year, where he played Géralt de Riv. The first season airs in December 2019 on netflix. In 2022, he announced that he was leaving the series after the filming of season 3 and before season 4, which saw him replaced by Liam Hemsworth. He also plays the role of Sherlock Holmes in the feature films Enola Holmes, centered on the Baker Street detective’s little sister.
Henry Cavill became known to the general public in 2013, when he took on the role of Superman in Man of Steel. He will play the superhero three times thereafter: in Batman vs Superman in 2015, in Justice League in 2017 and very briefly in Black Adam in 2022. In September 2018, the Hollywood Reporter announced that Henry Cavill was hanging up the cape of Superman, after three films in the DC Comics universe. The actor’s schedule conflicts had been announced to justify this departure. However, in December 2019, Henry Cavill had rekindled the hopes of fans, explaining that he could take over the role of Clark Kent: “I’m not giving up the role. I still have a lot to give to Superman”, had -he declares. In May 2020, Variety indeed reported that the actor is said to be in talks with Warner Bros to reprise the role of Clark Kent.
In 2022, he reappears for a cameo in the post-generic scene of Black Adam opposite Dwayne Johnson. On Instagram, the actor announces with great fanfare his return to the role of Superman at the end of October 2022. However, a reshuffle at the head of DC Studios puts an end to this return. James Gunn and Peter Safran, responsible for redefining the contours of the DC universe in cinema, choose not to continue their collaboration with him and to seek a new actor for their film Superman, who must be interested in the young years of the character in Metropolis. On Instagram, Henry Cavill confirms the news. “To those who have supported me all these years… We may cry for a while but we must remember… Superman is still here. Everything he represents still exists and the example he sets for us they’re all still there. My turn to wear the cape may have passed but what Superman stands for will remain.”
On the heart side, the actor was engaged to the rider Ellen Whitaker in 2011-2012. He also had an affair with actress Gina Carano in 2012-2013 and a brief romance with American actress and model Kaley Cuoco. He is also known to have relationships with Marisa Gonzalo, Tara King, but also stuntwoman Lucy Cork. He would have separated from the latter in January 2018.