Henry Cavill thinks there could be more than one Superman. Cavill made his Superman debut In the 2013 film Man of Steel. Cavill’s performance was well-received by fans and critics despite the movie’s mixed reviews and $668 million box office total.
Henry Cavill, Superman in the DCEU, sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss Ta-Nehisi Coates’ DC project featuring a Black Superman. Cavill is highly passionate about the DC superhero, and this passion is clear in all of his remarks. Many people agree that it is high time for DC to portray Superman as someone other than white, especially in light of the recent trend in superhero films that emphasize diversity and representation.
Henry Cavill Addressed Black Superman Movie Plans
Henry Cavill expressed his open views regarding the Black Superman project in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, stating that “Superman’s far more than skin color.”
“It’s exciting — Superman’s far more than skin color. Superman is an ideal. Superman’s an extraordinary thing that lives within our hearts.”
The Justice League and Man of Steel actor then emphasized that “multiple Supermen” can exist concurrently inside the same franchise:
“Why not have multiple Supermen going on? Joaquin Phoenix did a wonderful Joker movie; so what if it’s not tied to the rest of [the franchise]? They have multiple Superman comic book storylines happening at the same time.”
Superman is one of the most widely recognized DC superheroes of all time, and seeing the character played by a Black actor should motivate the Black community. This representation, together with Cavill’s comments, ought to act as a significant catalyst for the next projects.
DC’s Black Superman Movie Plans
DC first revealed that they will develop a new Superman movie with a Black lead in 2021. Author and occasional comic book writer Ta-Nehisi Coates was chosen to write the script, and Star Wars’ JJ Abrams was chosen to produce.
Coates is still working on a script for this project, which has been in development since 2021 and is reportedly still looking for a new Superman. However, this will not be a part of Gunn’s DC Universe and will continue to be a separate project.
James Gunn was asked about the Black Superman movie. According to Gunn, the film could happen as an Elseworlds project.
“Those two things are totally unrelated,” Gunn said. “That’s an exciting movie. I know that Chantal Nong, the executive on that project, is extremely excited about it. So if it comes in and it’s great, which I haven’t read the script, and if the timing is right, that could absolutely happen. That’s totally unrelated. It would be an Elseworlds tale like Joker.”
Films that don’t fit within the shared DC Universe will be categorized as “Elseworlds” projects, Gunn and Peter Safran announced in January when they unveiled their film slate as the new heads of DC Studios.
Source: Cheat Sheet
