Could Henry Cavill play Captain Britain? Marvel fans think so
Is a move to the MCU on the cards for Henry Cavill?
By Nick Reilly
In the wake of his unexpected departure as Superman, Marvel fans are now calling for Henry Cavill to leave the DC Extended Universe to pursue a new role entirely.
It was confirmed last night that Guardians Of The Galaxy director and DC Studios’ new co-chair James Gunn is writing a Superman movie that won’t involve Cavill – who described the development as “not the easiest news”.
Cavill has memorably played the DC Comics hero since 2013’s Man of Steel and most recently appeared in the role in a cameo alongside Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam earlier this year.
To make things worse, the actor had just confirmed his return to the role in October, having stepped down from the lead role in Netflix’s fantasy series The Witcher.
But in a new development, Marvel fans now want to ensure the DCEU’s loss is Marvel’s gain. In a series of messages posted online, fans think that Cavill could be the perfect person to bring Captain Britain – a relatively little known superhero – to the big screen for the first time.
The character, created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe in 1976, is otherwise known as Brian Braddock and is memorably tasked by the legendary magician Merlyn to be the defender of the British Isles.
Posting on Twitter, one fan wrote: ” Henry Cavill is now available to play Captain Britain in the MCU. Just sayin.”
Another said: “Henry Cavill moving into the MCU as Brian Braddock AKA Captain Britain, and properly adapting Excalibur would be the absolute best outcome of this whole sorry situation. Marvel make DC & Warner Brothers’ loss, your gain.”
A third commented: “Feige needs to give Henry a call and bring him over to Marvel because we will appreciate him more. Hyperion or even Captain Britain and we’ll show him how fandoms are supposed to treat their actors/characters.”
Confirming his departure last night, Cavill said: ““I will, after all, not be returning as Superman,” Cavill wrote in a statement. “After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter [Safran, DC co-chair] have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.”
James Gunn said: “Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year. “Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill. But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.”