Many actors have played Superman over the years, but Henry Cavill is the latest actor to bring the iconic DC Comics character to the big screen. Cavill made his superhero debut in 2013’s Man of Steel, and he went on to play him in several other DC Extended Universe films. The role catapulted the actor to fame, but he nearly missed the call offering it to him. The reason? He was in the middle of playing a video game.
‘Man of Steel’ wasn’t the first time Henry Cavill auditioned to play Superman
Believe it or not, Cavill didn’t have a ton of luck in Hollywood prior to landing his Man of Steel role. Although he appeared on popular TV series like The Tudors, he missed out on several big projects. James Bond was one of the parts that got away, as was Superman.
Before Cavill donned Superman’s cape in Man of Steel, he tried out for another DC film that never came to fruition. Ironically, he didn’t land the part that time around — but he did manage it later on.
Despite his rejections, Cavill admitted he’s happy about where his career took him. During a discussion on The Graham Norton Show, he said:
“Essentially, I got close to a bunch of stuff and didn’t get it, but it’s funny that people think that’s a bad thing,” he explained. “In Hollywood — or in the acting industry — everyone’s trying to get a role and they’re not necessarily getting them. And so, to get an opportunity to be in the limelight by missing out on the big roles is actually a good thing as opposed to a bad thing. And I count my lucky stars for each one of those.”
The Superman star missed the call offering him the DC role
With several rejections for big-name roles, landing the lead part in Man of Steel was an exciting development for Cavill. However, he didn’t immediately pick up the phone when the film’s director, Zack Snyder, called.
During an appearance on Jay Leno, the actor admitted he missed the call for an extremely gamer reason — and it has to do with World of Warcraft:
“I’m a big PC gamer, and I was playing an online game called World of Warcraft. I was playing this game, and you can’t save it. You can’t pause or anything, and other people are relying on you to play on a team. And it was a high point of the game. And so the phone’s ringing and I’m ignoring it because I’m not going to bail on these guys. And I look down, and it’s Zack Snyder calling. So, I dive for the phone, and I missed the call from Zack Snyder — the one I’d been waiting for, for Man of Steel.”
It’s no secret that Cavill is a longtime gamer. In fact, it’s part of the reason he worked so hard to land his role in The Witcher. However, it’s horrifying to think he could have missed out on playing Superman. Thankfully, he called Snyder back afterward and sealed the deal.
Will the ‘Man of Steel’ star return as Superman in the future?
Since putting on the cape in Man of Steel, Cavill has appeared in several other DCEU movies, including Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Of course, he’s also moved on to other franchises — most notably, Netflix’s The Witcher and Enola Holmes.
Given how much is on his plate, fans don’t know if Cavill will return as Superman in future DCEU films. Although the actor seemed open to it in the past, ScreenRant recently reported that Cavill has no concrete plans to reprise the role in any upcoming DCEU projects. That means the likelihood of him showing up in The Flash, Black Adam, or Shazam! Fury of the Gods is slim.
Of course, Cavill could negotiate another contract to portray Superman again in the future. However, it doesn’t seem like a huge priority for the actor or the franchise at the moment.
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