If You Only See One Thing Henry Cavill Has Done, Pick This
Henry Cavill has been making films for a little over 20 years now but not always as a leading man. Although he didn’t start out with plum roles, Cavill was always destined to be a top Hollywood actor. Over the years, Cavill went from bit parts to one of the most sought-after leading men in the business.
His career began in 2002 with a role in The Count of Monte Cristo, a film that was led by Jim Caviezel and Guy Pearce. It wasn’t a large part for Henry Cavill, but one that set him on his way.
Since that time, Cavill has joined horror films, medieval romance pieces, and even a television show or two that we are sure you’ve heard of. But if you are going to watch one thing from Henry Cavill’s career, we have the one you should pick.
If You Watch Just One Thing Henry Cavill Has Been In, Choose Man Of Steel
When it comes to that one thing you should watch if you could only choose one, the choice has to be Man of Steel. The film, directed by Zack Snyder, serves as a reboot of the Superman movie franchise.
It is an origin story, giving it a tweak or two from what we have seen in the past. After being sent into space by his father, Jor-El, the infant Kal-El crash lands on Earth, where he is found and taken in by Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane).
As he grows, the now-called Clark Kent begins to develop superpowers. But these powers are not something his father wants him to use. He wants Clark to keep them hidden, even when Clark can save his father from a deadly tornado.
Zack Snyder takes a number of detours here with the script penned by David Goyer based on a story idea by Goyer and Christopher Nolan. Henry Cavill’s Superman is given a lot more angst than what we have seen from Superman in previous iterations.
His search to figure out his place in the world leads him to the Canadian Arctic and Lois Lane (Amy Adams) of the Daily Planet, who is also there after the discovery of a Kryptonian scout ship.
This discovery leads to Lois observing Clark testing out his flying abilities while donning his Superman costume. This turn in the narrative that Snyder took – allowing Lois Lane to know Clark’s identity early on – was something audiences found disheartening, unfortunately.
It may come as no surprise that choosing one specific project that Henry Cavill has acted on is a little harder than it might seem. The popular actor has starred in films such as Stardust, Blood Creek, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Sand Castle, Enola Holmes, its sequel, and a fantastic turn as August Walker in Mission: Impossible – Fallout opposite Tom Cruise. He has also taken on the television series The Witcher.
What makes this the Henry Cavill film to watch if you can only choose one is Henry Cavill himself. With his physical appearance alone, he embodied Superman. The serious nature of the character allowed Cavill to show off some wonderful acting chops.
Even though the Man of Steel had a bit of a darker edge to it than most of the Superman films of the past, Cavill was also able to show off some light touches as well. Physically, Henry’s tall, 6’2” frame definitely fit the Superman costume. It held up well during the fight scenes with General Zod (Michael Shannon) and Faora-Ul (Antje Traue).
While the story itself didn’t hit with all audiences, it was Henry Cavill’s take on Superman that eventually won them over. It also won Warner Bros. over because he was brought back a number of times to play the Man of Steel.
Oddly enough, his performance in the Man of Steel marks the only time he would play Superman in a solo effort. Every other time he donned the red cape, it would be in a team effort with the Justice League.
Henry Cavill’s performance in the Man of Steel marks the only time he would play Superman in a solo effort
After this standalone film, Cavill was seen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opposite Ben Affleck’s Batman, Justice League, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and finally an extremely quick cameo in Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam.
Fans, and Henry Cavill himself, expected him to be back as Superman at least one more time but after the change at DC, it was eventually announced by new DC Studios co-head James Gunn, that Henry Cavill would not be reprising his role as Superman in any of the future DC films. Instead, actor David Corenswet was announced to play Superman in Gunn’s upcoming film, Superman: Legacy.
Don’t let that deter you from seeing the Man of Steel. If any film encapsulates what Henry Cavill is all about, it would be this one. Take the story for what it is but enjoy what he brings to the character. You will understand why this is the one film to watch and why fans feel he is the best Superman on the planet.
