Henry Cavill was poised to return as Superman after his Black Adam cameo. Also, his subsequent Instagram announcement of officially returning made everyone believe that the actor was back as the last son of Krypton. But then everything changed. Cavill was not included in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU plans and he also bid goodbye to The Witcher.
Netflix announced that from season 4, Liam Hemsworth was going to be Geralt of Rivia. Losing two mega franchises in quick succession with no big tentpole projects in his bag has made it seem like the actor is going through a rough patch. Or has become unemployable? And what actually happened that reduced Cavill’s star stature?
Did Man Of Steel Harm Henry Cavill’s Career?
The YouTube channel Recap Focus elaborated on what they think went wrong with Henry Cavill’s career and why he’s seemingly unemployable right now. The host began by stating that the Man of Steel star desperately needs a career revival because his original big break was not helpful to him at all. Here’s what the narrator said:
“From being the superhero in two multi-million dollar fictional worlds to being practically unemployed and in need of a career revival… Henry Cavill’s struggle in Hollywood just doesn’t seem to end. For starters, Superman didn’t do him any favors… He is probably the only actor whose big break was the worst thing that happened to him- Man of Steel… Snyder’s idea to let the Gotham City world seep into Superman wasn’t the best one.”
Read More: AI Gives 5 Pitch-Perfect Reasons Why James Gunn Screwed Up By Kicking Out Henry Cavill’s Superman
There’s some validity to this criticism. Man of Steel was torn apart by critics and fans alike for trying to emulate the world of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Even though Man of Steel has gained a cult following nowadays, it’s still divisive at best to the general audiences. Subsequent productions like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Zack Snyder’s Justice League also didn’t do much to move the needle of public opinion.
Before Man of Steel 2 could be made, James Gunn and Peter Safran came in with their DCU plans. As per The Hollywood Reporter, Cavill didn’t have a written contract in place. So all he could do was exit the franchise. However, the YouTuber didn’t put all the blame on DC or WB. He also said that The Witcher star is a little responsible for his current situation as well.
Did Henry Cavill Accidentally Tank His Career?
The host of Recap Focus stated that “Fast forward to December 2022 and… James Gunn asking him to pack his suit after he had already announced his comeback. While being toyed with for years and then being dropped by Gunn… it’s just one tiny part of the problem. Henry might not be entirely innocent in this game either.”
The narrator stated that Henry Cavill was too demanding and wasn’t a team player. So his behavior actually pushed him further away from the franchise rather than helping him get Man of Steel 2. The host stated:
“Fans of DC comics believe that the actor’s endless demands destroyed Superman for them. WB wanted to include him in various projects like Shazam, Shazam 2, and The Flash. The 39-year-old could have prevented his ties to the universe from being severed altogether had he appeared in these films.”
Read More: Ezra Miller’s The Flash Reportedly Features a Superman Cameo Despite Henry Cavill Leaving DCU
There have been multiple rumors that the actor didn’t cameo in these films because he didn’t want to get reduced to just doing cameos. Ironically, the one cameo he did do, didn’t help him get back into DC either. As for The Flash, the latest reports from insider KC Walsh state that even though Cavill is in The Flash, it’s through repurposed Justice League scenes.
However, Cavill still has the Warhammer 40K project that he’s producing and acting in. But, there have been almost no updates on it since its announcement. As such, one has to wonder if production houses are even willing to cast him anymore or not, and is it because he isn’t a team player? Only time will answer as we see the turns his career takes.
Man of Steel is streaming on HBO Max.
Source: KC Walsh and Recap Focus
