Justice League Heralds The “True Superman” As Henry Cavill Spills The Beans On His On-Screen Hero

The day has almost arrived, ladies and gentlemen.

On Friday, November 17th, the Justice League will assemble, and for better or worse, the DC Extended Universe will never be the same again.

Box office analysts claim Zack Snyder’s starry tentpole is projected for a $120 million opening weekend at the domestic box office, which puts it just ahead of Thor: Ragnarok – for the record, the latter has soared past $650 million worldwide since its debut three weeks ago. Only time will tell if Justice League can match that barnstorming success, but the fact that preliminary screenings have placed Snyder’s epic in the same ballpark as Wonder Woman can only mean good things for Batman and the gang.

And though its commercial performance will likely be discussed ad nauseam, Henry Cavill recently cut through the noise to discuss a certain Clark Kent, and how he can be seen as the moral compass of the DC super-group. Not only that, but the actor also believes that Justice League heralds our first introduction to “the true Superman,” one who’s oozing with confidence, hope and joy.

Geoff [Johns] and I have been delving into the history of the character to get to the core of who Superman is. This is the first time we see the true Superman. The Superman who is confident, and sure, and full of hope and joy.

Indeed, when Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first conceived the Man of Steel back in 1933, Superman was championed as a beacon of righteousness, who would so often put himself in danger for the greater good. That’s legacy that clearly isn’t lost on Henry Cavill – or Zack Snyder, for that matter – after he told Entertainment Weekly‘s newly-published Justice League guide that few things compare to slipping on that famous suit.

It’s very, very surreal. This is a wonderful job. I love my job, especially when I’m playing Superman, but sometimes you do start to feel the wear and tear of a long day. There was one point where I was standing in one of the huge green screen sets – which can be quite draining in itself, because it’s a very bright, aggressive green – and I was standing there at the top of these big stairs, thinking how hungry I am, and looking forward to getting to bed…and then I had this moment when I suddenly realized that Cyborg, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman were all standing there, and it looked so fantastic.

All of a sudden, my tiredness slipped away. I wasn’t hungry anymore. I just wanted to live in this moment and remember that I’m doing the thing that I wanted to do as a kid. I’m essentially playing superheroes, but as real as it gets as an adult. I’m very thankful for that kind of thing.

And that’s the traditional blue suit, given that Cavill has played down rumors that Clark Kent will be resurrected in time to sport the famous black suit.

When asked about the group’s overall dynamic, though, Henry Cavill then compared his on-screen hero to the moral compass of the team, with Batman assuming leadership duties.

It’s much like the United States with the League of Nations. Without that keystone, the Justice League doesn’t really work. It’s still a fantastic group of people, but Superman tends to be the heavy hitter of the League. He sometimes takes a leadership role, but most of the time it’s Batman who takes a leadership role. Superman is more the moral compass for the League.

With the moral compass on one end and Bruce Wayne’s emboldened leader on the other, expect Justice League to swoop into theaters this Friday, November 17th. The early critical consensus has deemed the Zack Snyder epic to be a good, if not great superhero romp, though we’ll able to form a better picture of JL once the official embargo lifts tomorrow evening. Stay tuned for more on that one.