With the debut of Netflix’s Enola Holmes, a mystery thriller starring Millie Bobby Brown as the titular teenage sister of the world-famous private detective, Henry Cavill became the latest actor to play Sherlock Holmes. Since the character originated on the pages of author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books, other actors have put their twist on Sherlock, and Cavill commented that the job holds Just as Much ‘Grandeur’ as Playing Superman.
As one of the most popular and widely adapted fictional characters of all time, Sherlock Holmes has had innumerable different interpretations over the years. Many people’s first thought when they hear the name is still of Basil Rathbone, and his final live-action appearance was in 1946, but he’s just one of many performers to have donned the top hat. It was last played by Benedict Cumberbatch in his BBC series, Sherlock.
Henry Cavill and his portfolio of characters
Henry Cavill made his debut as the Last Son of Krypton in Warner Bros. and DC’s Man of Steel, director Zack Snyder’s remake of the Superman film series that established the DC Extended Universe brand in 2013.
Cavill returned to the character two years later in Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and then again in 2017’s Justice League. While some fans have praised Cavill’s portrayal of Superman, others have been less satisfied by what is perceived to be a darker take on the normally hopeful figure.
The British actor’s two-fisted interpretation of Sherlock Holmes returns in the contemporary sequel of Enola Holmes 2, which will be available on Netflix on Friday, in which the detective teams up with his younger sister (Millie Bobby Brown), who is also a detective. According to Cavill, Sherlock was a guide to Enola in the first film, which was released back in 2020. In the new adventure, the roles are reversed: “He starts in a difficult place, so she helps him out of it.”
When asked the Witcher star in an interview “When you take on a Sherlock or Superman, do you sense their cultural weight and what’s come before, or do you treat them as people you need to get to know?” Henry Cavill simply said,
“I like the way you phrased that, as people, I need to get to know. That’s the way to do it. If you approach it as anything else, then there’s a certain grandeur attached, which can affect the performance. If you’re going to be as honest and true as possible, then you need to try and look at it through their eyes. Certainly, with Superman, you feel the effect of the character.”
While most people are familiar with Sherlock Holmes, Cavill was unfamiliar with the source material and thus avoided feeling pressure to provide a flawless rendition of the character. However, he did a decent performance as the private detective in Netflix’s 2020 hit. After Superman and Geralt of Rivia, the 37-year-old appears to have added another world-famous figure to his portfolio.
Henry Cavill holds the same regard for both Superman and Sherlock Holmes
Henry Cavill excels at portraying intense characters. The Witcher star can out-pensive the best of them in Enola Holmes and Superman in the DC Extended Universe. Given that he has now represented both Sherlock’s intellect and Superman’s muscle, he was asked in the interview how the two characters compare, and whether Superman or Sherlock would win in a fight.
Of course, Cavill is fiercely protective of Superman and everything he represents. “Well, goodness me. First of all, Superman isn’t just brawn,” Cavill stated. Of course, as the Batman v Superman star pointed out that he holds both the characters with the same ‘Grandeur’.
The Sherlock we meet in Enola Holmes was never intended to be more than a supporting character, providing Cavill more leeway than usual in refining his approach to creating the role. However, we may see Cavill take a new approach to the legendary character this time around.
On November 4, Netflix will release Enola Holmes 2.
Source: USA Today
