Henry Cavill may or may not be done with the Superman role that Warner Bros may or may not be ready to recast anyways! The DC film universe is in a strange place, with Justice League disappointing both critically and at the box office, while Wonder Woman proves a success and upcoming, anticipated films like Joker aren't even set in the same universe. While some characters like Aquaman and Shazam are coming soon and other films like The Flash may not even enter production proper, it certainly feels like they've given up on carrying on their Superman franchise as it is now.
It's a real shame to see it end like this if that is the case. Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League all have a lot of problems, but Henry Cavill genuinely seemed to have a really good Superman performance in him. Cavill's not slated for another DC film appearance for the foreseeable future, with a rumored Shazam! appearance not happening and Cavill slated to play Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's upcoming The Witcher series. Naturally, once it came out that Cavill may be leaving DC's film franchise, everyone began asking the same question: who could Henry Cavill play if he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Cavill's a great actor, but he does his best playing certain roles, and there are plenty of Marvel characters who fit the bill. We've picked 10 characters that we'd love to see Henry Cavill play (and we also picked 10 that he should absolutely avoid, for better or for worse).
20 AVOID: WOLVERINE
Hugh Jackman tried to join The Avengers as Wolverine for years, but following the critical success of Logan, he seems more than satisfied to hang up his claws and go out on a high note. With a Disney and Fox merger on the way, Wolverine is definitely due for a new actor after 18 years.
For his MCU debut, Wolverine's already going to be under scrutiny. Fox knew this too, avoiding recasting Wolverine with a younger actor for their soft rebooted X-Men films and instead opting for Hugh Jackman cameos. Whoever picks up the role has an uphill battle, and it's for the best that Cavill just stays away from this one.
19 PLAY: SENTRY
With the power of a thousand exploding suns, The Sentry might actually be Marvel's biggest Superman pastiche. Powered by and capable of manipulating solar energy, the Sentry's giant S belt buckle perfectly emulates Superman's shield. He's handily one of the strongest characters Marvel has ever produced, for better or for worse.
More so than with Superman though, Cavill could flex his acting chops with Sentry. There are a lot of layers to The Sentry, from the terrified and meek Bob Reynolds identity to Sentry's sinister counterpart, The Void. Not to mention you can never really tell if Sentry is going to be a hero or a villain in each story.
18 AVOID: KA-ZAR
Marvel's proven they can take a less well-known superhero and make them a huge hit, thanks to films like Ant-Man and Black Panther. There is a pantheon of other Marvel Characters who could receive similar treatment, and you can't help but think Ka-Zar is somewhere on that list.
Ka-Zar has proven to be a fan favorite over the years, and with his background as a stranded British orphan, Cavill might make sense to bring him to life, but traipsing about the jungle feels like a waste of his talents. Ka-Zar was being considered for production in 2009 along with Doctor Strange and Luke Cage, but no announcements have been made since.
17 PLAY: NAMOR
Marvel's Sub-Mariner is long overdue for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the character tied up in legal wranglings with Universal Pictures that prevent him from appearing just yet. But when he does finally make his MCU debut, Henry Cavill may be the perfect choice to play him.
Sub-Mariner is Aquaman without the pretense. He's a real pain to land dwellers, he knows it, and he doesn't care. Namor also just got a serious upgrade in the comics, establishing his strength as on par with the whole of the Avengers. If the rights can ever get ironed out, Cavill would make a perfect Namor.
16 AVOID: ADAM WARLOCK
It's up in the air as to the future of Adam Warlock in the Marvel Cinematic Universe now. Following the controversial firing of writer/director James Gunn, the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise has found itself on hold as Marvel and Disney figure out the future of the franchise.
Given the post-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Adam Warlock seems to be all but a lock for the sequel. It would be easy to throw Henry Cavill into the role since he is coming off his Superman performance, but it doesn't feel like a good fit. Warlock is a weird, chess-master type who seems to join teams when they most need exposition, not the type of action-oriented go-getter Cavill is known for playing.
15 PLAY: GENIS VELL
There have been many who have carried the mantle of Captain Marvel, and in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, that honor fell to Genis-Vell. Genis-Vell was the legitimate son of the original Mar-Vell, something which plagued him for much of his superhero career.
Will we ever see Genis-Vell in a film? It's unlikely, given Carol Danvers is Captain Marvel in both the comics and film. But now that Captain Marvel's been introduced into the universe, it's entirely possible he could appear. Cavill's a great choice for one of Marvel's most notable legacy characters, and a dead ringer for Genis-Vell himself.
14 AVOID: SILVER SURFER
The Silver Surfer was already lucky enough to get one shot at the big screen thanks to the dismal Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. With body capture work by Doug Jones and voicework by Laurence Fishburne, the Surfer had a fair enough representation, but the movie failed to impress and Fox's Fantastic Four franchise ended.
With someone who is approximately human-shaped, Marvel may be tempted to go more practical than Fox did for the Surfer's initial debut, and he needs to avoid that. Cavill would be great providing the Surfer's voice though, over one of the industry's many motion-capture experts. Maybe Doug Jones can even reprise the role?
13 PLAY: HERCULES
It would have originally been difficult to imagine Hercules appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He's a pretty goofy guy and typically he is played up for laughs. But something happened that changes that: Thor: Ragnarok. With the revamped Thor franchise featuring a less serious take on the God of Thunder, it's not quite as out of place to imagine him duking it out with the Prince of Power.
Cavill would be a great twist as Hercules. After years of seeing him take himself too seriously as Superman, to see him get to cut loose as Hercules has a lot of potential for hilarity. Whether it's arguing over mead or trying to pull the entire island of Manhattan, Cavill's Hercules has a lot of potential.
12 AVOID: MR. FANTASTIC
Reed Richards is all but an inevitability for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the patriarch of Marvel's first family, the Fantastic Four, his absence has been sorely felt and it is as if Marvel's film universe grew up without him. The Fantastic Four are almost certainly on their way now that the Disney/Fox merger is underway, with fans speculating who could play Mr. Fantastic.
Cavill's got the potential for a good Mr. Fantastic in him, but Reed's a walking, talking exposition machine. This, coupled with the special effects heavy requirements of a character who can stretch his limbs, make this an odd choice for Cavill to bring to life on film.
11 PLAY: PETE WISDOM
Pete Wisdom has proven to be a fairly divisive character over the years, gaining a reputation as a British Wolverine knock-off. A former MI-6 agent, he was first introduced as a liaison between the organization Black Air and the British X-Men team, Excalibur.
If you want Henry Cavill to play Wolverine, Wisdom is your best bet. He's a roguish, yet slimy British intelligence agent capable of generating "heat knives" from his fingertips. While Cavill may not have a lot of experience playing mutants who can throw flaming projectiles, he has played his share of British spies with turns in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Mission: Impossible - Fallout.
10 AVOID: CAPTAIN AMERICA
Chris Evans may or may not actually be done with the Captain America role following Avengers 4, but he will one day have to step down. With rumors of Evans leaving and Cavill exiting DC's film franchise, fans immediately came to one conclusion: Henry Cavill should be the new Captain America.
This is a terrible idea for Henry Cavill. If he should join the MCU, he's already going to be scrutinized for having previously played Superman. And whoever replaces Chris Evans has some very big, bright red boots to fill. Cavill almost certainly has a great run as Captain America in him, but the pressure and microscope he'd be under would be incredibly distracting for everyone.
9 PLAY: WONDER MAN
Wonder Man has been so, so close to making it in the Marvel Cinematic Universe already. Guardians of the Galaxy has tried to tease the character in both films, with deleted scenes in both films featuring Firefly alum Nathan Fillion as Simon Williams.
Both teases were ultimately cut from both films, and with the controversy surrounding James Gunn's departure of the Guardians franchise, Marvel may be ready to recast the role should they choose to include the fan-favorite Avenger. Cavill's a natural choice, especially if the interpretation of Williams takes the opportunity to poke fun at his own cinematic superhero exploits.
8 AVOID: KANG THE CONQUEROR
How do you follow up Thanos? He's regarded by many fans as the biggest of the big bads in Marvel Comics properties, and yet rumors already abound that he may not be the actual big bad of Avengers 4. With that in mind, either for Avengers 4 or the next phase, many fans have turned an eye to Kang the Conqueror.
Could Cavill pull off Kang? Kang is not a terribly physical character, but one that plays behind the scenes to accomplish his goals. Cavill could probably bring an air of gravitas to the role, but Kang's traditional full-face mask and less physical role make it one he's unlikely to take on.
7 PLAY: BEYONDER
The Beyonder is a tough one to peg down. Debuting in the 12 issue toy advertisement that was Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, he quickly proved to be one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe at large. So powerful that we recently argued he was too strong to even be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe!
But if he were to make an appearance, it would be a great role for Cavill. The Beyonder is strange, alien, and just bizarre. For the original Secret Wars, Beyonder had no true physical appearance. However, the body he makes for himself in Secret Wars II, with a shock of curly, black hair and a tall, broad build, is a dead ringer for Cavill.
6 AVOID: DOC SAMSON
Technically speaking, Leonard Samson already exists in the MCU. 2008's The Incredible Hulk featured a pre-Modern Family Ty Burrell portraying the character. Since then, Samson hasn't been mentioned, even among passing mentions of Betty Ross and the return of Thunderbolt Ross.
It stands to reason that the character could be recast, with a desire to make Samson more closely resemble his comic book counterpart. Turning Samson into a gamma-irradiated scientist would take some leaps in storytelling, despite typically retaining a human form. But making the character work with a gargantuan, CGI Hulk would be out of place. And given his already limited screen time, what can you really do with Doc Samson?
5 PLAY: UNION JACK
Captain America is probably out of the question for Cavill, but there's always Britain's answer to him! Surprisingly, that's not the aptly named Captain Britain, but Union Jack. Donning a sleek, black costume and mask and boldly wearing the Union Jack flag across his chest, the character is a British government agent. He also stages a one-man war on Britain's enemies and, surprisingly, occult villains.
Union Jack is something of a monster hunter, with the second Union Jack's brother being the vampire Baron Blood. Seeing Cavill play the iconic Union Jack would be an interesting twist, as the character has always been a fan favorite, but still isn't terribly well known. This would be an opportunity to present a fresh spin on a unique character.
4 AVOID: ARES
Ares has been an Avenger off and on over the years, even finding himself allied with Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers until his untimely end at the hands of The Sentry. It seems like he's overdue for a movie appearance given this history, and Henry Cavill has the perfect look to play the character.
But what role does Ares really play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Any role you would slot him into, Thor already seemingly fills. It would be easy to throw him in a movie to earn some fan service, but the MCU might be better off without the God of War making an appearance.
3 PLAY: CAPTAIN BRITAIN
Captain Britain is very, very British. He's also very, very strong, and built like a brick wall. All boxes Henry Cavill has ticked in his time as an actor. So much so that more than any other role, fans were clamoring to see Cavill join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Britain's protector, Brian Braddock, once news broke he may be done as Superman.
Captain Britain has long been a Marvel comics mainstay, with regular appearances in X-Men titles over the years. Though he hasn't appeared in some time, he's always on the cusp of the Marvel Universe. Perhaps Cavill can join up for a Captain Britan and MI-13 series on Netflix?
2 AVOID: THE BEAST
Nicholas Hoult has been bringing Henry McCoy's visage to life ever since X-Men: First Class, a role which has increasingly required more and more excuses as to why he isn't blue and furry. The fact of the matter is fans want their Beast to resemble his more modern incarnations, regardless of who the actor is.
Cavill probably has an interesting Beast in him, mixing McCoy's intellect with his bombastic abilities. But the thought of Cavill, who carries himself as a fairly serious actor, coating himself in blue fur to bounce around the Xavier Mansion, brings up too many memories of Kelsey Grammer's unfortunate turn as the character in X-Men: The Last Stand.
1 PLAY: HYPERION
It's almost a no-brainer that Henry Cavill should join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Hyperion. Hailing from an alternate Earth, the Squadron Supreme are already a team of Justice League stand-ins. They've encountered The Avengers time and time again, and some members have even joined up. Recently a version of Hyperion, Marc Milton, joined The Avengers during a global initiative.
Hyperion's a pretty notable character in his own right, with multiple incarnations and various back stories. Many are straightforward Superman pastiches while some, like the Ultimate Universe's respective Hyperion, are more violent and prone to fighting, lining up perfectly with Cavill's tenure as Superman.