Some wondered when news broke last week that Henry Cavill had signed on to portray The Witcher lead character for the Netflix series what was up with his commitment to play the Man of Steel for Warner Bros. and the DCEU. In hindsight, it should have been obvious. Cavill is no longer Superman.
It is a sad day for those of us who believe that he was a great actor to tackle both the roles of Superman and Clark Kent.
The sad thing is, the films he appeared in are what failed him.
From Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and of course Justice League, Cavill portrayed Superman three times and each was a worse effort that the previous in terms of the characterization of one of the most beloved superheroes in the history of superheroes.
They were all dark, thanks to Zach Snyder and his vision for the Justice League universe he was building. If you look at Superman throughout the comics and in the film incarnations, it is Mr. Red, White and Blue. Those are bright tones, not somber ones. Superman is not Batman. He did not lose his father and mother in a dark alley (even if their mothers’ names were both Martha). Superman stands for truth, justice and the American way. So, Cavill was denied any remote possibility of making a Superman landscape that audiences could fully embrace. Sure, there were many who adored his role and those films. But, largely, if you look at the critical, box office and audience reaction, something was not quite right with each film that found Cavill being Super.
If you look back a wee bit, this is not the first time that WB and DC have failed in finding a proper cinematic venue for the star they tapped to be the most recognizable superhero in the world. Just look at Brandon Routh. He was sensational as the Man of Steel, but the one-off Superman film Superman Returns clearly didn’t hit the mark as there was only one and Routh was never asked to don his red cape ever again.
Like Cavill after him, Routh was awkwardly strong as Kent and commandingly charismatic as Superman. He probably gets sick of hearing it, but every time I interview Routh, I let him know that he was the greatest Superman since Christopher Reeve. That’s probably something he hears a lot, and now it is something Cavill will now hear repeatedly due to his innate abilities as the kid from Krypton.
What is it that is so darn difficult for WB and DC to get right about one of the most recognizable and most popular superhero characters in the entire world?
I mean, it’s not like the world had heard of Iron Man before Robert Downey, Jr. donned the suit a decade ago. Captain America was beloved, but when Chris Evans adorned his red, white and blue suit it took it to a whole new level. Same could be said for Thor and Chris Hemsworth, Chadwick Boseman and Black Panther and a slew of other Marvel stalwarts.
Yet, as great as the Christopher Nolan Batman movies are, they are the exception and not the rule cinematically for the DC universe. Nolan + Batman = Dark Knight… with emphasis on DARK!
Superman is NOT Batman.
Cavill, we’re sad to see you go. As you illustrated with a stunning turn in Mission Impossible: Fallout, you are an actor whose pedigree is up there with the best of them. He looks like Superman, gosh darn it. He exudes Superman. Yet, those who wrote the words that came out of his mouth and crafted the landscape with which he operated never quite got the character itself.
For fans of the greatest superhero of all-time, it is tragic.
At least, Cavill and Routh will have plenty to talk about at cocktail parties.