Henry Cavill’s Superman is to this date, one of the best things to have happened to DC Studios. What made Cavill’s iteration of the superhero all the more special and emotionally appealing to the audience was his own attachment to the character coupled with the impeccable performance that the British actor delivered in Man of Steel (2013).
But while Cavill’s Superman was sensational, his portrayal of a darker and broodier version of the Man of Steel was absolutely ground-breaking. All thanks to Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan, two of Hollywood’s finest filmmakers, who came up with the vision for the ‘Dark Superman’ to begin with.
The Vision for Henry Cavill’s Superman in Man of Steel
While Superman is viewed as a symbol of hope and light all around the world, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel cast Clark Kent’s alter ego in a much more pensive light, dark even, thereby taking a conspicuous turn from the more common depictions of the superhero. And it was this very melancholic undertone of the character’s nature that helped to accentuate the overall vision behind Henry Cavill’s Superman in the 2013 action/adventure movie.
In an old interview with GQ, Cavill, 39, recalled how the prospect of a dark and wistful Superman was something that not only he or Snyder wanted to bring to life but even The Dark Knight Trilogy director Christopher Nolan helped out with.
“The wonderful thing about Man of Steel, and what Snyder and Nolan and I wanted to do with Superman, was to create a Superman, who was accessible in the sense that – what would we do if we lived in a world where we had to keep every single aspect of ourselves hidden, and we couldn’t really truly interact with people. And how would that affect us?”
Once they put themselves in the character’s place, Cavill and the directors had a clearer perspective on how they wanted to present Superman in Man of Steel and how they planned on relaying the ideals of hope and kindness through a new and darker version of the superhero.
How Henry Cavill’s ‘Dark Superman’ Managed to Convey A Valuable Message
Talking about his experience in Man of Steel and his iteration of Clark Kent in the film, the Dawn of Justice star explained how it all boiled down to the fact that even after Superman had gone through hell and back, he was still “willing to step out of the shadows” and save the world, one heroic step at a time.
“And that was the beautiful bit, is that, even though he has restrained himself and lived his life of loneliness, essentially, he’s still willing to step out of the shadows and become the hero, despite the fact that it’s going to have a negative impact on his life. And that I think, is the aspect of that symbol of hope – he’s representing everything that is good about mankind, despite the fact that mankind may not be good to him.”
The very same undercurrent of genuine compassion that Cavill is referring to is evident in his Superman in the $668 million movie, something that can be sensed despite the gloomy layer of aloofness and something close to grief that he wore in Man of Steel.
Man of Steel can be streamed on HBO Max.
Source: GQ via YouTube
