On top of Patty Jenkins confirming she’s no longer attached to Wonder Woman 3, Gunn and Safran seem to be shuttering the rest of Zack Snyder’s DCEU that Cavill kicked off in 2012 with Man of Steel. Even though it remains to be seen what will happen to Aquaman and the Flash after their 2023 standalone movies, the much-hyped Man of Steel 2 is no more. When Gunn confirmed Warner Bros. is moving forward with a young Superman movie on Twitter, there was a seemingly throwaway comment that mentioned “a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.” Even though optimists among us took this to mean Cavill’s iteration of Superman could appear elsewhere, the star’s own response to the news put a nail in the coffin. Posting on Instagram, Cavill said, “This news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. The changing of the guard is something that happens.” Cavill wished Gunn and Safran good fortunes, saying they “have a universe to build.” Sadly, Superman is the second major role Cavill has lost in as many months — following his high-profile exit from Netflix’s The Witcher following the upcoming season three (which came just as the announcement of his Superman return hit). This leaves everyone asking, just what’s next for Henry Cavill? Whatever route the Warhammer 40,000 series takes, it’ll take some serious budget. In the Empire interview, Cavill said, “It needs to be handled to a Lord of the Rings level. And if it’s not, I’ll be massively disappointed.” Games Workshop has been particularly protective of the IP when it comes to live-action adaptations, but considering Dungeons & Dragons is getting a big screen revival via the Chris Pine-led Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, it’s about time Warhammer was introduced to the mainstream.
House of the Dragon Rumor
Could Cavill hold the fort at Winterfell as Cregan Stark in House of the Dragon? That’s just one of the many Game of Thrones universe fan casts and rumors circling the actor. Beyond Cregan, fans have also tapped Cavill to play a young Robert Baratheon in a version of Robert’s Rebellion. Mark Addy famously played “the Drunk King” during his twilight on Game of Thrones, but with multiple spin-offs in the works, Cavill could definitely play Robert in his glory days. Conveniently, others have tipped him as the perfect Aegon the Conqueror to give House of the Dragon its own prequel. Beyond fan casting, there was an actual rumor going around in 2022 suggesting Cavill could be setting sail for the Seven Kingdoms for House of the Dragon season 2, although who Cavill might play remained a mystery at the time. But responding to the House of the Dragon rumors, Cavill told the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, “I think it would be cool to be in Westeros, I really do. I don’t think there’s a place for me in there, though.” Unless he’s being coy, it doesn’t sound like conversations have taken place. In late 2021, Cavill told The Hollywood Reporter “nothing is off the table,” explaining, “I think it would be very exciting to have a conversation with the producers. In an ideal world, I’d never have to turn anything down.” More recently, he downplayed the idea because he was too busy with Superman. Speaking to USA Today, Cavill said, “it’s all about how much time I have, and these roles need to be respected and a lot of work needs to be put into them.” He rightly said, “You can’t just be jumping from iconic role to iconic role with no time to prep for them,” but with no Superman to train for, the odds of him becoming Bond have just been slashed by bookmakers. It would be a case of history repeating itself because Cavill has previously confirmed it came down to him and Craig for Casino Royale, which would’ve made him the youngest actor ever to play Bond. Speaking of age, producer Barbara Broccoli has suggested they’re looking for a younger 007. Those at the top want a 10-12 year commitment from their next Bond, who they’ve described as a super spy in his 30s. Cavill is 39 at the time of publishing, which might’ve finally put him out of the running.
MCU, Captain Britain, and Hyperion
It wouldn’t be surprising if Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige and company were in a mad scramble to get Cavill on board for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s true that actors like Elba, JK Simmons, and Laurence Fishburne have appeared in both the MCU and DCEU, but to snatch up their biggest rival’s golden boy would be a big win for the MCU’s ever-expanding roster. One rumor that must be taken with a large pinch of salt is that Cavill might be playing Hyperion in Loki season 2. As the character is often compared to Superman, it would be a tough one to pull off. The question was broached by Josh Horowitz when the actor still believed he was playing the Man of Steel for the DCEU, but Cavill said he wasn’t aware he was in Loki and added, “It would be a tricky one to handle at this stage…If James Gunn could do it, maybe I can too.” Unsurprisingly, the internet has rallied around the fan casting of Cavill as Hyperion, whether in Loki or other rumored roles such as the big bad of Thunderbolts (possibly as another Marvel “evil Superman” type called the Sentry). Putting his own spin on Braddock, Cavill said he’d like a “modernized version of that — like the way they modernized Captain America.” Officially throwing his hat in the ring, the star concluded, “There’s something fun about that, and I do love being British.” Given that Secret Wars is on the horizon and Captain Britain is a major part of the Multiverse, Cavill’s casting would certainly be one of Phase 6’s biggest wins.
Mass Effect?
Cavill himself has piqued our interest in a live-action Mass Effect, which is another one of his favorite video game franchises. While promoting The Witcher season 2, Cavill said he’d love to have a conversation about a Mass Effect series. Cavill has the square jaw to play Commander Shephard, but former BioWare writer David Gaider has branded the idea “cringe” on Twitter, saying the notion of trying to recreate the story’s branching narratives would be very challenging.
Back to the Witcherverse?
The final (and probably least likely) option would be Cavill donning his blonde wig to play Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher season 4. Before Gunn was pulling the rug from beneath the Metropolis Marvel, jaws were similarly on the floor when Cavill announced he’d be leaving Netflix’s fantasy epic after season 3. Schmidt saying she thinks “new chapters bring new energy” confirms she’s all-in on Hemsworth, despite almost 300K angry fans (as of publication) signing a petition to sack the writers and reinstate Cavill. We’ll likely never know what really went down, and with Cavill and Hemsworth keeping it civil on Instagram, we’re not sure the former would even be happy jumping back into the role.
