Without Henry Cavill as Superman, the DC Extended Universe wouldn’t be where it is today. From Man Of Steel to Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Henry Cavill has starred in three movies as Superman. Many hope for a fourth or fifth movie for Henry since he has only been given one solo film.

  • With the official announcement from Warner Bros., Dwayne Johnson, and the Man of Steel himself, Henry Cavill is returning to the DC Extended Universe. Whether that is in a solo Superman movie or appearing in more crossovers is unknown, but fans are excited because Henry Cavill has solidified himself as a truly great Superman portrayal.

Across those three films, Henry Cavill has left his mark on the character, joining the likes of Christopher Reeve as an iconic part of the character’s history. With the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Henry Cavill provided even more great moments that prove he deserves more movies.

Kal-El & Zod

Man Of Steel (2013)

The first confrontation between Superman and General Zod in Man Of Steel is not what would be expected; there isn’t inherent animosity or toxicity between them. Instead, they just talk in a simulation. Both parties simply lie out their causes and to a degree, it’s hard to completely denounce why Zod is doing what he’s doing.

Clark even somewhat seems to understand, but he lets the villain know that he can’t be part of the genocide of the people that he was raised with just to bring back Krypton. Though it ends on a more menacing note, the scene is played out more like a level-headed debate rather than a fight between the hero and a villain.

Knightmare Superman

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)

Taking obvious inspiration from the Injustice series, the dark future of the DCEU features an evil version of Superman. In Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, Batman sees a vision of this future known as Knightmare. In it, Superman is a dark and evil slave of Darkseid.

Showing Henry Cavill’s range, the humble and polite hero is now a murderous machine that slaughters Batman’s surviving resistance members before ending Batman himself. It’s a dark scene that showcases that if future films take place in the Knightmare world, Henry Cavill will make a great villain.

Don’t Threaten Martha

Trying to get the Codex, General Zod interrogates Martha Kent, and this proves to be a mistake. Superman tackles Zod across the county in a rage as he punches Zod many times. In a line that’s both endearing and epic, Superman yells out, “You think you can threaten my mother?”

This gives Superman more depth as a character. He’s not just a boy scout in blue tights, he’s still a man who loves his mother dearly. Cavill delivers the rage in the line perfectly, and it begins one of the most memorable fights in the DCEU.

God Bends Before Man

This is as effective of a scene for Superman as it is for his rival Lex Luthor. The issue raised in Batman V Superman is that Superman is all-powerful so nothing is a threat to him, but the moment that Lex Luthor showed him that Martha Kent has been captured, he becomes a scared child again.

It’s a stellar use of showing opposites, with Superman going from strong, confident, and standing over Lex to dropping to his knees, scared, and unsure of what to do next. It takes an impressively cunning villain to bring Superman to heel, unable to use his powers with mere words and photos.

Welcome Back, Henry

Black Adam (2022)

After so many years of fans asking for a Man Of Steel sequel or any project featuring the return of Henry Cavill as Superman, Dwayne Johnson finally made it possible with the post-credit scene of Black Adam featuring the ruler of Kahndaq being paid a visit by the Last Son Of Krypton.

Superman emerges from the shadows wearing his original suit from Man Of Steel and telling Adam that they need to talk. Fans cheered at this return so much that the cameo could not be kept a secret. It got to the point that Henry Cavill posted a video about his official return on his social media and fans could not be more delighted.

Destroying The World Engine

Many are quick to point out how Batman is a hero who never gives up. Superman is no different in this regard, especially when he reaches the Indian Ocean. Despite the Kryptonian atmosphere weakening him combined with the powerful terraforming beam, he still stands up.

Superman looks up, looking uncannily similar to Christopher Reeve, and flies up to destroy the machine. A moment that proves that Superman will stop at nothing to defend Earth.

The Death Of Superman

Many fans agreed that it was jarring seeing the now-iconic death of Superman so early in the DCEU timeline, but the scene proves to be effective, especially with how it results in the events of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The scene itself still delivers on showing how truly selfless Superman is in the end.

He had a mother and a woman whom he truly loved, and he knew they would mourn him, but that did not stop him from sacrificing himself to slay Doomsday. Mirroring his father’s death in Man Of Steel, he’s killed by Doomsday, and his death leads to the death of the monster and the uniting of the Justice League.

Family Reunion

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

In a more emotional moment, Superman regains his memory while on the Kent family farm. Henry Cavill and Amy Adams continue their flawless chemistry as they have a heart-to-heart talk. It’s at this point that Henry Cavill’s Superman shows just how human he is.

The scene gets even better when Martha returns to the farm to see her son back from the grave. They have a tear-jerking reunion with Superman referring to Martha as “Ma” just like in the comics. The acting of Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, and Diane Lane are all top-notch for a great return of Henry Cavill’s Superman.

Cards On The Table

When directly questioned by General Swanwick, Clark easily breaks out of his cuffs and then, as he says, puts his cards on the table. He lets them know that there is no possible way they could contain or control him. It’s a delicate moment effectively delivered by Henry Cavill, showing the strong yet kind person that Superman is.

It’s arguably the most Superman-like way he could have gone about this situation: he doesn’t threaten anyone, he doesn’t show malice, he just calmly and collectively states the facts and shows that he is not an enemy. It could have been so easy for him to break through the wall and intimidate his way, but he actually agrees to be turned over to Zod.

Black And Blue

The truth is that the title of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice is deceptive. The two characters do not fight until the third act, and only for about ten minutes. That being said, the actual fight between the two is something to behold, with both characters getting solid hits on each other.

After all, it is the clash of the two most iconic DC superheroes of all time. Batman’s rage and Superman’s pain and suffering help in delivering a memorable fight. Henry Cavill’s expressions are great during the fight; especially his shock about being unable to overpower Batman or feeling such immense pain from a man.

Rebirth

Calling back to Man Of Steel, Superman makes his way through the Kryptonian ship where more suits are waiting for him. It’s a scene with no dialogue from Henry Cavill but instead, he conveys the scene through expression. He’s contemplating his return and whether he should after everything that happened.

However, his story arc comes full circle when he emerges wearing the iconic black suit. The words of his two fathers play in his head before he flies high above the Earth to soak in the sun. His resurrection was complete, thus becoming the symbol of hope that Jor-El had always known he’d become.

The Scream

Man Of Steel’s epic climax ends on a surprisingly sad note, Superman is forced to kill General Zod since he knew there was no way to contain him or stop the fight. Normally, killing the villain would be victorious for the heroes, but not in Superman’s case. The last thing he wanted was to kill someone, but he knew that Zod would never stop until one of them was dead.

This act makes Superman drop to his knees and scream in pure heartbreak. He truly was now the Last Son Of Krypton. Henry Cavill’s scream feels genuine and makes the scene so impactful, showing the heartache of not only truly making him the last of his kind, but also why Superman never wants to kill again.

The League VS Superman

This is another scene that showcases how scary Henry Cavill can be. The newly resurrected Superman has no memory of who he is, so he heartlessly attacks the Justice League. They all are easily disposed of by Superman.

The best part comes when The Flash attempts to use his Speed Force to get the upper hand. Much to his shock, Superman is fast enough to spot him and then battle with him at near the same speed.

Superman Joins The Justice League

After the underwhelming use of Henry Cavill in the 2017 version by Joss Whedon, anything would have been an improvement. Zack Snyder’s version of Superman makes his entrance by taking a hit from Steppenwolf’s axe, and the axe doesn’t leave a scratch.

Then Cavill smoothly delivers, “not impressed,” easily Superman’s best line in the film. From there, he obliterates Steppenwolf with ease, and it’s clear to see that Henry Cavill’s heart was much more into it. No forced humor or CGI lip to make him miserable.

First Flight

Much like the original Superman The Movie from 1978, Zack Snyder treated Superman’s first on-screen flight as an event. A slow build-up to an eye-popping first flight that shows Superman traveling the globe. Clark laughs with joy with a giant smile on his face, a realistic reaction from such a person.

Henry Cavill’s joy is genuine, it’s clear that he loves playing Superman and that he was living a dream in this scene. Combined with Hans Zimmer’s powerful score, this scene is still Henry Cavill at his best. This is likely why Zack Snyder referenced it in his Justice League.