Henry Cavill still loves Superman, and he says that love shaped how he approached playing the Man of Steel from the very beginning.
Speaking in a new interview with L’OFFICIEL, Cavill opened up about the responsibility of taking on characters with passionate fanbases, including Superman and Geralt of Rivia.
For Cavill, the rule was simple: respect what people already love about them.
“I Love Superman”
Asked what it is like stepping into roles with an iconic past, Cavill called it “an enormous responsibility.”
“I’ve always felt that from the beginning, because I love Superman, and I especially love Geralt as well,” Cavill said.
He said his approach was never about reshaping those characters around himself.
“I’ve always gone into it with 100% commitment to being faithful to what the fans love. Not trying to convert anything into my version, but it’s always about doing the thing that people love, whether that’s in tone or essence or a literal copy,” Cavill said. “I will always aim to do those things.”
Cavill last played Superman in the Black Adam post-credits scene in 2022 before James Gunn rebooted DC with David Corenswet as the new Man of Steel.
He also left The Witcher after Season 3, with Liam Hemsworth taking over as Geralt.
Cavill Says He Trusts His Instincts More
After 26 years in the business, Cavill said he has also become much more selective about the people he works with.
He pointed to a list a friend once sent him called Advice from an 80-Year-Old Man.
One entry reads: “Take care choosing your life’s mate, because 90% of your happiness or unhappiness will come from that decision.”
Cavill said the same idea applies to Hollywood.
“The same applies to your partners in film, TV, creativity, and across the spectrum, but especially that,” he said. “It’s taught me now to be very selective, and also to believe in my own instincts more.”
Reuniting With Russell Crowe For Highlander
Cavill is now starring as Connor MacLeod in the upcoming Highlander reboot from John Wick director Chad Stahelski, where he reunites with his Man of Steel co-star Russell Crowe.
Crowe plays Ramirez in Highlander after previously playing Superman’s father, Jor-El, opposite Cavill.
“On Highlander, working with Russell again was absolutely amazing. He’s such an extraordinary man,” Cavill said.
One sequence took the pair to the Old Man of Storr on Scotland’s Isle of Skye, where helicopters dropped off a skeleton crew of around 15 to 20 people to capture the final light of the day.
The conditions quickly turned brutal.
“We were up quite high, and the wind was whipping through. We were cold to the bone. I’ve been very cold before, but this was a special kind of cold,” Cavill said.
Crowe was apparently feeling it even more.
“Coming from Australia, [he] was not particularly fond of the cold, and he was not having a good time,” Cavill said.
Once the cameras started rolling, Cavill said both actors immediately dropped the discomfort and fell into character.
“You didn’t feel the cold; you just felt the affection and love in that moment. It was such a special thing to be able to do.”
Cavill Says He Is Working Harder Than Ever
Cavill also has Voltron on the way from Amazon MGM, with the movie heading directly to Prime Video.
Asked what he would do with an extra hour every day, Cavill said he would spend it with his daughter.
“Being a father now, and still working, I’m working harder than I’ve ever worked in my life, actually,” Cavill said. “It’s really important to be the protector and provider, but it’s as important to be the father and be present.”
And when Cavill does get some downtime, he apparently knows exactly where it disappears.
“Reddit’s a great hole to fall into. Time just disappears,” he said. “You’ll be like, Oh good, I just killed two hours and learned nothing.”
The full interview is available at L’OFFICIEL.
Cavill is also filming a new spy comedy with Kevin Hart, while our insiders say Zack Snyder wants Henry Cavill back as Superman for The Dark Knight Returns at Paramount-WBD.
