Tyler Hoechlin cemented his position in the world of comic books when he played the role of Superman in The CW’s hit show Supergirl. His interpretation of the character was a throwback to the days of Christopher Reeve, playing the Man of Steel as a charming and debonair hero with a cheerful approach to crimefighting that stood in stark contrast to the dour, sullen superhero we’ve gotten to see in the DCEU, played by Henry Cavill.
Now that Cavill is almost confirmed to have left the franchise though, the internet is on the hunt for a replacement for the actor, and many fans of the Arrowverse are backing Hoechlin as the perfect guy to take on the role of Superman for the big screen as well. The Supergirl star was made aware of this fact recently at the Boston FAN EXPO, and made his appreciation for the support clear with his comments:
“I did not know that. That’s very flattering, very flattering. I appreciate the support.”
Hoechlin then went on to acknowledge that this new-found support is in stark contrast to when fans first learned that he was cast as Superman on The CW show:
“First time, ‘Who? Who’s this guy? What, why? No, no, please God, no.’ No, the support has been great. It’s been very nice to receive the, I guess, the reception that the character’s had.”
As happens with almost every superhero casting, many fans were initially skeptical of Hoechlin’s ability to do justice to the Man of Steel. But he proved the naysayers wrong with his more hopeful take on the character.
Finally, the young actor admitted that despite the fan support, nothing was set in stone regarding him playing Superman in the DCEU, but that it was always a possibility:
“Who knows? You never know. You never know what’s gonna happen in this crazy world.”
For now, fans will have to remain content with that response, and with getting to see Hoechlin’s Superman join the rest of the heroes from The CW’s Arrowverse in their next giant crossover event, “Crisis On Infinite Earths,” where he’ll be seen alongside Brandon Routh portraying another famous iteration of Superman as well.
