The Marvel fandom is a funny thing. At the exact same time that Madame Web making mere pennies at the box office is used as more kindling for the “superhero fatigue” fire, folks are getting excited for the future of the MCU again for numerous reasons. Deadpool & Wolverine looks awesome, The Fantastic Four cast is here and people love them (mostly), and also a new rumor is causing social media’s collective mind to explode. Don’t get too excited, but it’s claimed that Henry Cavill has signed on for top-secret role with Marvel Studios.
Ever since DC gave him the boot as Superman (which time am I talking about? Take your pick), the Cavill collective have demanded that he land a new superhero role in the MCU. So all it takes is this barest whisper of a movement in this direction for everybody to lose their minds. Naturally, the internet is full of debates over what this alleged role could be, with popular suggestions including Captain Britain, Cyclops of the X-Men, and even Doctor Doom.
But hold it with all the Scott Summers fan art, folks, because we need to get real here. Nobody’s doubting that Cavill would do an incredible job in the MCU, and it would be a delight for him to find new regular employment in the comic book genre, but the sad reality is that the former Superman is not the chosen one destined to come along and save the franchise as fans seem to think. Forgot him as Victor Von Doom — tragically, the evidence suggests Cavill’s hiring would only lead to the MCU’s ultimate financial doom.
Henry Cavill is the hero Marvel fans deserve but not the one the MCU needs right now
Let’s all put aside our crush on Cavill for a moment and crunch the numbers. The unfortunate fact is that many of the actor’s movies that have relied on his star power as the main draw have simply not performed as well as hoped at the box office — several have absolutely plummeted, in fact. The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Justice League, and most recently and egregiously of all, Argylle have gone down as financial flops (even if U.N.C.L.E. is an underrated banger that you should go watch now).
Meanwhile, Black Adam spoiled its own post-credits scene in the hopes of bringing audiences on board thanks to Cavill’s cameo, but to no avail. And Guy Ritchie’s upcoming WW2 spy flick The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is unlikely to rock the boat too much this April. Cavill’s biggest box office hits? Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice — note whose name is first — and Mission Impossible: Fallout, in which he played the villain to cinema’s former savior Tom Cruise.
After Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels, and tangentially Madame Web, Marvel Studios has no choice but to rely on tried-and-tested blockbuster-makers at this point — Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool 3 is a perfect example. So whoever plays Cyclops, for example — the X-Men’s team leader who could well be the face of the reboot — must be someone who has the power to display ironically Superman-like strength and carry the film’s financial future on his back.
Henry Cavill as Captain Britain in a sneaky Avengers: Secret Wars cameo, though? Go knock yourself out, Marvel.