Over the past decade, Henry Cavill has become one of the biggest names in the film industry. Starring in DC movies as the Kryptonian superhero, Superman, along with his Netflix feature The Witcher, the actor has gained millions of fans worldwide. The level of craze is understood via campaigns fans did for his return as Superman in the DC films, and they were almost successful before James Gunn initiated the new DCU.
However, one of the things that is surprising to notice is that despite having such a dedicated fan base, the actor does not have very promising box office records, as he has only a number of movies that made over $500 million at the box office.
Henry Cavill’s Limited Box Office Blockbusters
After making his debut with the 2001 film Laguna, Henry Cavill went on to star in several critically acclaimed films like The Count of Monte Cristo, I Captured the Castle, and Stardust. The British actor auditioned for several movies from Harry Potter to Twilight, including for the role of the British spy James Bond.
However, he ended up losing not only because he did not have potential but also because he was either too old or too young for some of the parts he auditioned for. Cavill finally had his big break as the DC superhero in Zack Snyder’s 2013 film Man of Steel.
Fans loved Cavill as Clark Kent, aka Superman, but it received mixed reviews from critics. The movie earned him worldwide recognition and made him one of the biggest actors in Hollywood. He has since starred in several films and TV shows, along with reprising his DC role.
However, it is surprising that the actor still does not have many blockbusters under his name, as only a number of his movies have been able to make over $500 million at the box office, most of which are from Zack Snyder’s DC Extended Univers.
Henry Cavill’s Highest Grossing Films
Although Henry Cavill is widely known for starring in DC films, the actor has given incredible performances outside the superhero universe as well. Whether it’s Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher or the role of detective Sherlock Holmes in Netflix’s Enola Holmes. However, the actor’s highest-grossing films mostly are from the DC Extended Universe.
Justice League (2017)
The fifth film under Zack Snyder’s DCEU and the third movie starring the fan-favorite Henry Cavill, Justice League, made $657.9 million at the box office. The chaotic production of the film after Zack Snyder had to leave the production mid-way was highly considered to be the reason why the movie fell short of making even $700 million at the box office. Cavill went through scheduling conflicts due to the months-long reshoots of the movie, and his mustache for his role in Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible also became an issue during these reshoots. While it did make over $657 million at the box office, the 2017 film was still not considered a blockbuster, due to the extended budget for its reshoots.
Man of Steel (2013)
Man of Steel marked Henry Cavill’s debut as Superman. While the movie received mixed reviews from critics, fans loved the British actor in the role of DC superhero. Grossing $668 million at the box office, it was one of the highest-grossing films of the year. Cavill reprised his role as Superman in the upcoming DCEU films Batman v Superman and Justice League, which were still not able to perform as expected at the box office.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Starring alongside the action star Tom Cruise, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is the only Henry Cavill film outside Zack Snyder’s DCEU that has made over $500 million at the box office. The role of August Walker was Cavill’s first take on a villainous character, and his performance was highly praised in the movie. The sixth installment in the franchise made $791.7 million worldwide and has been one of the most successful films of Cavill’s career. The Immortals star even went viral for his iconic reloading move during one of the fight sequences in the movie.
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
The 2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was one of the highly-anticipated movies of the year. Starring Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot alongside Henry Cavill, it is the first live-action movie to feature both Superman and Batman. It also features the first live-action cinematic portrayal of Wonder Woman. The movie grossed $873.6 million at the box office, making it the second-highest film under Zack Snyder’s DCEU and the highest-grossing film of Cavill’s career. However, the film is believed to not live up to critics’ expectations, and many even went on to describe it as “Snyder’s weakest DCEU film.”
While Cavill does not have many blockbusters under his name, the actor is believed to become a box office draw in the coming years. While fans anticipate seeing him as the British spy James Bond, Cavill is set to lead another spy action thriller, Argylle, along with the war action film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
Argylle and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare are expected to be released in 2024.
