One of the best things to have happened in the last decade is the reparation of Henry Cavill and Robert Pattinson’s reputation from The Tudors and Twilight to unanimously loved A-listers. The two British actors and their immense potential were misplaced, if not greatly so, by the limited opportunities presented to them. But with the times a-changin’ and the world opening up to avenues of CBM franchises, the actors dive deep into a winner-takes-all play of Superman and Batman.
Also read: 8 Ways Robert Pattinson Is A Better Batman Than Ben Affleck
Henry Cavill & Robert Pattinson’s Clashing Hollywood Career
It is not uncommon for actors of the same generation to compete for the same roles and while one ends up achieving overnight fame, the other strives on with what’s left. A simple nod from a casting director was all that the emerging actors needed and both Henry Cavill and Robert Pattinson stepped into the fray at the same time with that in mind.
Also read: Harry Potter Director David Yates Rumored to Be WB’s Pick to Direct Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel 2
So while the Harry Potter franchise was the biggest production to come out of the early 2000s, having a cast that was entirely English, it was obvious for Cavill and Pattinson to audition for the wildly successful franchise. But while Pattinson got the part of Cedric Diggory, the fan-favorite wizard who gave his life to save Harry, Henry Cavill’s role shall remain forever in the vault. The actor recently confessed about these infrequent clashes over the same roles as “a Batman rivalry” and while that may be a comment made in good humor, it very much sets in motion the idea of a continuing internal rivalry since early 2005.
Henry Cavill Questioned About the Twilight Casting Choice
Almost all British actors who have stepped into Hollywood have become unparalleled in their individual brilliance, beginning from the likes of Christian Bale and Tom Hardy to the younger generation of Saoirse Ronan and Tom Holland. Robert Pattinson and Henry Cavill are the middle child of the industry and have risen through the ranks to become unexpendable in their artistic potential, especially with the former’s The Batman and the latter’s role as Superman in DCEU.
However, before all of that came Twilight in 2008 — a movie that was equal parts good and terrible in its execution, and managed to hypnotize an entire generation into becoming obsessed with the supernatural almost overnight. For Catherine Hardwicke, the director of the Twilight saga, perfection was found first in Henry Cavill before becoming enamored with the chaotic beauty of Robert Pattinson. When asked about this in Josh Horowitz’s Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Cavill said:
“I didn’t know about the movie and I didn’t know about them waning to cast me. The internet wasn’t quite the tool that it is now. And so I only found out afterwards and I was like, ‘oh, okay, that would have been cool.'”
Also read: Twilight Star Says The Franchise Is Prime For A TV Series Reboot
The fame of Twilight threw Robert Pattinson on a completely different career trajectory, and he had to patiently build a filmography that was as brilliant as it is diverse while also broadening his audience from teenage fandom to a niche one. Cavill’s fame, on the other hand, was more universal and definitive with his break-out role on DCEU’s Man of Steel, and it has just been one masterpiece after another with him — The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, The Witcher, Enola Holmes, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
After a decade apart and a brilliant resume later, Henry Cavill and Robert Pattinson come together under the banner of DCU in 2022 as Superman and Batman once again — this time, with no rivalries in tow.
Source: Happy, Sad, Confused
