The film future of Superman is a bit murky, as Warner Bros. has offered little clarity on the plans for the character. As of now, the only planned film involving the Man of Steel is one written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and produced by J.J. Abrams, but a director and star haven’t been announced for the project. According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter back in May, the plan is for the film to feature a ‘Black Superman’ for the first time.
It remains to be seen if that film will feature the definitive Superman going forward. If so, that could mean Henry Cavill’s days as the Last Son of Krypton could be over. Though he’d love to continue to portray the character, Cavill sees no problem with Superman being played by a black actor.
“It’s exciting — Superman’s far more than skin color,” Cavill told The Hollywood Reporter. “Superman is an ideal. Superman’s an extraordinary thing that lives within our hearts. Why not have multiple Supermen going on? Joaquin Phoenix did a wonderful Joker movie; so what if it’s not tied to the rest of [the franchise]? They have multiple Superman comic book storylines happening at the same time.”
While Cavill is supportive of other actors taking on the role, he believes that he’s not done with Superman – a sentiment that many fans agree with.
“There is still a lot of storytelling for me to do as a Superman, and I would absolutely love the opportunity,” Cavill said. “The killing of Zod gave a reason for the character never to kill again. 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. I did far more emotional takes they didn’t choose; tears were happening. He just killed the last remaining member of his species. That’s the choice he made in that moment, and he’ll never do that again.”
Cavill embodied the character of Superman during his three-film stint as the icon. If Warner Bros. decided to go in a different direction, it wouldn’t be his fault. However, the DCEU is in an adjustment period right now, so it’s hard to know what the studio is thinking. It’s still possible that we have a Black Superman while Cavill continues to play the role. As the actor noted, Joaquin Phoenix took a crack at the Joker, but his movie doesn’t have anything to do with other DC-related films.