5 Marvel Characters We'd Love To See Henry Cavill Play
Henry Cavill is Superman! Or was, Superman. He's Geralt of Rivia now. But that doesn't have to mean Henry Cavill can't play a superhero again — especially since his stint with DC has presumably come to an end. The British actor portrayed Superman in the DC Extended Universe, in the standalone film "Man of Steel" (2013) and later, in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," (2016) "Justice League" (2017) and "Zack Snyder's Justice League" (2021).
Contrary to popular belief, the same actors can play characters in the MCU and DCEU. Idris Elba has portrayed Heimdall in "Thor" and Bloodsport in "The Suicide Squad," Ryan Reynolds has played Green Lantern and Deadpool in movies of the same name, as has J.K. Simmons — who played Jonah Jameson in the Spiderverse and Jim Gordon in "Justice League." So, why can't Henry Cavill?
Here are 5 Marvel characters we'd love to see Henry Cavill take on — one of which the actor has already expressed his excitement about.
Captain Britain
Henry Cavill is a go-getter. He wanted to play Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's adaptation of "The Witcher," and he bagged the role, keeping tabs of the show's auditions way before the script was ready. Of late, the actor has been pretty candid about his interest to play Captain Britain, the champion of the British Isles and its people. In November 2021, Cavill told The Hollywood Reporter more about who he'd like to play in the MCU:
"I'm never going to say a Marvel character that is already being played by someone else because everyone's doing such an amazing job However, I have the internet and I have seen the various rumors about Captain Britain and that would be loads of fun to do a cool, modernized version of that — like the way they modernized Captain America. There's something fun about that, and I do love being British."
Captain Britain, AKA Dr. Brian Braddock, gets his powers from the Amulet of Might, an artifact offered to him by the sorcerer Merlyn following a near-fatal accident. As Captain Britain, the superhero is assigned to protect his country for the Captain Britain Corps, an organization that holds various versions of Captain Britain from multiple alternate realities. His key powers include super-strength, flight, shooting energy beams, and the ability to produce force fields. Marvel Comics created the character to appear in the British market exclusively, but his popularity has led him to cross over into major American teams such as Illuminati and Secret Avengers. Many of his storylines deal with magic, and with the MCU Phase Four leaning into the multiverse, there might be room for this superhero to appear. Braddock was also part of MI-13, a team that features Dane Whiteman, AKA Black Knight and Blade (teased in the post-credit scene of Chloé Zhao's "Eternals") as a member. And since Henry Cavill has expressed his curiosity, can he please get a chance to audition already?
Hyperion
Henry Cavill has been sincere about his desire to play Superman again — the actor believes that there's a lot to explore still where storytelling is concerned. Since Warner Bros. clearly has no intention to greenlight a "Man of Steel" sequel and explore the character to its full extent, maybe Henry Cavill could be the MCU's Superman instead.
The two superheroes have similar powers, Hyperion can absorb cosmic energy, he has super speed and flight — and atomic vision. The superhero draws his power from the sun, making him a formidable foe and of near-insurmountable threat for any MCU hero. He's also part of a Justice League-esque team named Squadron Supreme and a notable character that could be a great addition to Cavill's superhero career. He already has the physique — all he needs is a bright new cape.
Namor/Sub-Mariner
This might be a self-indulgent choice — but I like to believe I am speaking for all Henry Cavill fans here. Namor/Sub-Mariner, who is Marvel's version of Aquaman (and came before the DC hero), could be a fascinating character for Cavill to play. All right, all right, maybe I'm saying this because it would need him to spend a lot of time in and out of water — which you know, I don't think anyone will be opposed to. A confirmed Namor Easter egg was planted in "Avengers: Endgame" when Okoye and Natasha Romanoff discuss seismic activity at the bottom of the ocean, which the former reveals to only be earthquakes. How long before he joins the MCU?
Namor has the gift of flight (represented by the tiny wings on his ankles) and superhuman speed and agility. Over the decade, the MCU has traveled to other planets and galaxies, conquered the land and sky — which means it's time to plunge into the ocean, where a whole new world of possibilities await.
The Beyonder
The Beyonder is the most powerful being in the multiverse, having power surpassing all Cosmic Entities except for the One-Above-All — the supreme ruler of the multiverse. He is the strongest character in Marvel Comics and an intriguing antagonist who can manipulate reality. The Beyonder can overpower any superhero in the MCU — he has psionic abilities that enable him to scan the minds of every person in the universe, erase others' memories of him, and assimilate knowledge from the entire multiverse. Essentially, there's nothing he can't do — and no one will survive a fight against him. Not to mention that The Beyonder's tall, broad build and curly black hair make Cavill a dead-ringer for the role. The character is a God-like entity in Marvel Comics, and Henry Cavill sure knows a thing or two about looking like one.
Sentry
Popularly referred to as another Superman pastiche, Marvel Comics' Sentry has the powers of a million exploding suns. That might sound dramatic, but it's true — the character ingested an experimental Super-Soldier serum believed to be a hundred thousand times stronger than the one used on Captain America. The serum "moves his molecules an instant ahead of the current timeline," which helps him catch or evade bullets — also permitting him to travel to the sun and back in a matter of minutes. He's invulnerable — not even Spider-Woman's venom blasts affect him. The character has many iterations, from Robert "Bob" Reynolds, who captures people's hearts, to a sinister version known as The Void.
P.S.: The character wears a blue belt decorated with an "S," which is reminiscent of the Superman symbol. It could be fitting for Henry Cavill to take on his mantle.