Henry Cavill Wants to Make a More Upbeat ‘Superman’

DC has a reputation for making gritty movies. While it works sometimes, Henry Cavill says when he makes his big return as Superman in an upcoming movie, he is looking forward to a more hopeful version of the character. Cavill previously appeared in director Zack Snyder’s DC films, which tended to take Superman into the shadows. There are definitely arcs within the comics that see Superman in that kind of light, but they’re not really the truest to the character.

Superman has long been considered a boy scout. He’s your prototypical superhero, stopping runaway trains, and rescuing damsels in distress, all with a smile and a wave. After a while, writers got bored of that whole schtick and started asking questions. What’s left for the man who has everything? What are the limits of corruption for an infinitely powerful being? These questions gave rise to an unstoppable, darker Superman, who would frequently be at odds with other heroes and villains alike.

Henry Cavill recently sat down with ScreenRant to talk about his take on Superman. The interview was about Enola Holmes 2, but since Superman appears in the post-credits scene of Black Adam, questions were bound to arise. Cavill said:

Obviously, I have a very close connection to the character. And there is something extraordinarily special about him; extraordinarily special about his capacity to give and to love. I don’t mean romantically; I mean his love for Earth and for the people who live here, and to make people feel powerful—to make people feel like Superman themselves. I have plenty of desires for this, of course, which will be discussed more in time. But the most important thing, which I will be aiming for, is for the audience to leave the cinema and to feel like they can fly, to feel like they can protect, and to feel like they want to give to everyone else. That would be my goal.

Black Adam is now playing in theaters. Enola Holmes 2 debuts on Netflix on November 4. Warner Bros. has yet to announce when or where Cavill’s Superman may appear next.