The Real Reason Why Henry Cavill Feels He Has A Lot Left To Give To The Role Of Superman

Henry Cavill has already given audiences an interesting version of Superman for the modern era in the DC Extended Universe, but many fans are keen to see him don the red cape once again. After he appeared in 2017's "Justice League," audiences got a slightly different take on the hero in "Zack Snyder's Justice League" in 2021 after fans campaigned for years to see the director's original vision for the film. But the star's future in the role has been up in the air ever since.

Many DC fans were incredibly confused by the hero's cameo in the "Shazam!" ending, which sees Superman visit Billy Batson (Zachary Levi) and Freddie Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) at school. But when the Man of Steel walks in, his head is just out of frame — only showing off the iconic blue and red costume. It worked great as a joke, but there's been no solid answer as to why he didn't pick up the cape for the brief appearance. "Shazam!" director David F. Sandberg took to Twitter to confirm the star was originally meant to have a full cameo in the film but didn't offer a reason as to why it didn't happen.

Henry Cavill has often spoken at length about how much he loves the character, so it was most likely due to scheduling conflicts or contract negotiations with Warner Bros. Regardless, Cavill recently explained that he has a lot left to give to the role on the big screen.

In a lengthy interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Henry Cavill opened up about his career, working with Netflix on "The Witcher," and of course, his time in the DCEU as Superman. The star thinks there's much more to do with this version of the Kryptonian, saying, "There is still a lot of storytelling for me to do as a Superman, and I would absolutely love the opportunity." He also pointed out that the DCEU is yet to really dive into how 2013's "Man of Steel" changed the character going forward. "The killing of Zod gave a reason for the character never to kill again."

Cavill revealed that the hero's emotional reaction was something he improvised on set, saying, "Superman falling to the ground and screaming afterward — I don't think that was originally in the script, but I wanted to show the pain he had." He also noted that there were other takes that saw Superman become much more emotional about the situation. "I did far more emotional takes they didn't choose; tears were happening. He just killed the last remaining member of his species."

The star thinks there's much more to explore in a "Man of Steel" sequel, which could look at how trauma affects someone with such incredible abilities. "There's an opportunity for growth after that, to explore the psyche of Superman as a deep, seemingly invulnerable god-like being but with real feeling on the inside." Henry Cavill even reassures DC fans that his time as Clark Kent isn't over, teasing, "As I always say, 'The cape is still in the closet.'"