Henry Cavill has opened up about returning to play Superman in a new interview.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the 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 the publication.
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.
“I did far more emotional takes they didn’t choose; tears were happening. He just killed the last remaining member of his species. That’s the choice he made in that moment, and he’ll never do that again. 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.”
He concluded: “As I always say, ‘The cape is still in the closet.’”
Last year, in an interview with Sir Patrick Stewart as part of Variety‘s “Actors on Actors” series, Cavill also spoke about his pride in playing the part. “I’ve always been a fan of Superman. With a character like that, you carry the mantle with you off set, and it becomes part of your public representation.
“When you meet children, children don’t necessarily see me as Henry Cavill, but they might see Superman, and there’s a responsibility which comes with that.”
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 earlier this year.
