Henry Cavill said he hopes to play Superman again: 'The cape is still in the closet'

By Steve Iervolino

Henry Cavill has appeared as Superman, technically, four times: 2013's "Man of Steel," 2016's "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" as well as 2017's "Justice League," which was re-cut and rereleased in 2021 as Zack Snyder's "Justice League."

But the actor recently told The Hollywood Reporter he'd love to give it another shot.

"The cape's still in the closet," he shared.

The British star of Netflix's "The Witcher" said he felt he was just scratching the surface of the character at the end of "Man of Steel," which was far better received critically and than Warner Bros.' comic movie follow-ups, excepting Snyder's do-over.

"There is still a lot of storytelling for me to do as a Superman, and I would absolutely love the opportunity," Cavill said. He cited the ending of Man of Steel, explaining, "The killing of Zod gave a reason for the character never to kill again."

Clay Enos/TM & DC Comics

Henry Cavill as Superman in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."

"Superman falling to the ground and screaming afterward -- I don't think that was originally in the script, but I wanted to show the pain he had. I did far more emotional takes they didn't choose; tears were happening," Cavell added. "There's an opportunity for growth after that, to explore the psyche of Superman as a deep, seemingly invulnerable god-like being but with real feeling on the inside."

Officially, Cavill's future as the gravity-defying hero is, well, still up in the air.