Henry Cavill Dispels Superman Age Concerns

With talk of Henry Cavill’s Superman future, there’s been some discussion that he’s too old for the Man of Steel, but these concerns are unfounded.

Henry Cavill, perhaps best known for playing Clark Kent/Superman and The Man of Steel star reflected on portraying Clark Kent in three films based on the popular DC comics.

“There is still a lot of storytelling for me to do as a Superman, and I would absolutely love the opportunity,” Cavill told us.

He also reflected on the controversial scene that saw his Superman breaking his moral code to kill villain General Zod.

“The killing of Zod gave a reason for the character never to kill again. 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,” the actor explained.

He continued: “Because it’s such a wonderful character, it’s actually a responsibility I’m happy to have, and I hope that I get to play more of Superman in years to come.”

After first taking the role in 2013’s Man of Steel, Cavill would return to the character in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016 and Justice League in 2017. Justice League director Zack Snyder later re-edited his film into a longer version, which was released.

Talk of Henry Cavill continuing as Superman has included debate about his age, but Cavill is far from too old for the Man of Steel. Since the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League in 2021, mainstream interest has been greatly renewed in both Snyder’s shelved Justice League sequels and in the return of various cast members. One of the biggest is Cavill as Superman, and there seems to be potential for that to happen.

With WB-Discovery’s recent merger, an insider has reportedly commented that Cavill’s Superman should be prioritized in the studio’s new DCEU plans. With that has also come additional commentary of Cavill being too old to return to the role, but this concern is misguided on several levels. Cavill is currently 39 years old, and in the modern landscape of superhero movies, numerous comic book movie actors have portrayed their respective character into their late 40s, early 50s, and even beyond.

Some even began in their roles much later in life than the start of Henry Cavill donning Superman’s red cape. Dwayne Johnson, Hugh Jackman, Jason Momoa, Ben Affleck, Ryan Reynolds, and Michael Keaton all fit one or both of those categories, and they’re far from the only ones. Two of the biggest recent examples are Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, who returned alongside Tom Holland in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and who were about 46 and 37 at the time. Meanwhile, a direct comparison with Cavill’s fellow Men of Steel also quells the idea of his age being a barrier.

Tyler Hoechlin of Superman & Lois is just four years Cavill’s junior, while Superman Returns‘ Brandon Routh is four years his senior, with Routh having returned for the CW’s Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover (along with his extended run as Ray Palmer in the Arrowverse.) Routh’s return even had him specifically play the Kingdom Come-based Superman, effectively making Routh’s Kal-El older than Routh actually was at the time, and his comeback even inspired calls for a continuation with Routh’s Superman. This ties into the nature of Superman as a Kryptonian, with his aging process being drastically different from that of humans and something that could be a legitimate story component for Cavill.

Any potential need to similarly age up Cavill’s Superman is also a very big “if”, as Cavill barely looks a day older than he did in Man of Steel. Moreover, Cavill is notorious for his intense commitment to the physical roles, be they Superman, Geralt of Rivia on The Witcher, or August Walker in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and he hasn’t slowed down in the slightest in doing so. Indeed, with Dwayne Johnson, more than a decade Cavill’s senior, headlining Black Adam later this year and having long had his sights on Henry Cavill’s Superman as Black Adam’s rival, Cavill’s age is not remotely a hindrance in him portraying Superman.

Given Superman’s newly prioritized status by WB-Discovery, fans of the Last Son of Krypton are eagerly awaiting what lies ahead of him, with many clearly cheering on a Cavill Superman return. Cavill’s own eagerness to continue as Superman is something he also continues to exude in interviews. While working out the when, where, and how of Cavill’s Superman return is another matter entirely, Henry Cavill’s age is hardly a precluding factor in his ability to embody a strong and heroic Superman.