7 Best Henry Cavill Roles To Date

2. Superman - The DCEU

Man Of Steel Henry Cavill
Warner Bros.

With comparisons to Christopher Reeve in full force, Henry Cavill took on the role of a lifetime for Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. Superman is a difficult role to play - he is effectively a god on Earth, though is an upstanding man to a fault. Truth, justice and the American Way - lofty ideals, though narratively stifling.

The very pleasant surprise of Man of Steel is how well Cavill makes the role his own. It is a film very much of two halves and it is fair to say that the first half is the stronger of the two.

Cavill's depiction of Clark Kent's journey to accept his duality makes for compelling viewing. Snyder's stunning cinematography adds layers to this - the scene of Clark lying immobile in the ocean as the fire rages above is beautiful.

Man of Steel was criticised for its second half, which features Superman snapping Zod's neck. Superman is supposed to be the very ideal of what humanity should aspire to. Cavill manages to invest a true pain into his actions here - it does not feel gratuitous. His scream of anguish feels raw and honest.

Henry Cavill really, really cares about this role. He has been vocal on many occasions about the fact he is not ready to leave and that Superman is his role. With the upcoming Snyder cut and the recent announcement that he is in talks to return for a future DCEU film as the Kryptonian once more, the future is looking brighter for this incarnation of the Man of Tomorrow.

Contributor
Contributor

Writer. Reader. Host. I'm Seán, I live in Ireland and I'm the poster child for dangerous obsessions with Star Trek. Check me out on Twitter @seanferrick