Following the recent shocking and heart-breaking announcement by Henry Cavill that he would no longer be returning as Superman in the DCU, fans were devasted. Even more so when James Gunn confirmed his vision to reboot the DCU, starting with a Superman film that will follow a younger Clark Kent as a reporter in Metropolis. Despite a large amount of backlash, this raised the obvious question of who will replace Henry Cavill as Superman. Furthermore, will they be able to do Cavill’s Superman justice?
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DC fans were devasted by the news that Henry Cavill would no longer be reprising his role as Superman. In fact, there is the possibility that none of the current cast of the DCU would be reprising their roles as James Gunn speaks on rebooting the entire universe, starting with Superman. As frustrating as it must be for fans to see all the current progress lost, Gunn is starting the rebooted universe off with a younger version of Superman, wherein he has just moved to Metropolis.
Looking at the comics, Clark Kent is around 22 years old when he is hired as a journalist at The Daily Planet. This is also around the time he is introduced to Lois Lane, his main love interest. With Kent’s age in mind for this reboot, many contenders who would have made a good replacement for Cavill as an older Superman have been ruled out.
Instead, there has been much speculation on who would be a good fit to play a younger version of the caped hero. There has been much fan speculation and debates all over the internet.
Here is a list of five upcoming, younger actors who could replace Henry Cavill and be the new face of Superman in the DCU:
5. Liam Hemsworth – A Double Tap For Cavill
As much of a blow as it would be to Cavill following the recasting of Geralt in The Witcher, it is safe to say that Liam Hemsworth would be a good choice for a younger Superman. As it stands, Liam is living in the shadow of his older and more well-known brother, Chris Hemsworth. And even though he is a well-established actor, he is yet to land a big role that would have him come into his own as an upcoming talent. Understandably, he is in his early twenties, and even though he has not yet landed a mainstream role, he has done well in everything he has starred in thus far.
For example, he did a good job in his role as Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games franchise. And, has starred in some well-rated films such as The Expendables as Billy the Kid, Isn’t It Romantic as Blake, and the 2009 horror film Triangle. This makes it apparent that the talent is there to claim the role, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Furthermore, he does have the physique and jawline to pull off Clark Kent in all his cape-wearing glory.
4. Richard Madden – The King In The North!
Although slightly older than the other actors on this list, Richard Madden has the skill (and looks) to pull off a 22-year-old Clark Kent. This is especially true when looking at his portrayal of one of the most well-known characters in television history, Robb Stark. Madden’s character in Game of Thrones is the perfect parallel to the version of Superman that will be portrayed in the DCU reboot. This is apparent in the way he was able to play a humble and heroic, justice-seeking leader who was a bit too trusting in those around him.
Furthermore, his role as Ikarus in The Eternals is a much closer look at what he would be like as Superman. Even though the character he played ultimately became a villain of sorts (and quite literally flew into the sun), his portrayal in the first half of the film really fit the heroic nature of Superman. Not to mention, Madden filled out his super-suit quite well and would have no problem also filling out DC’s Superman suit. It is quite unfortunate that he was snatched up by Marvel before this role became available.
3. Dacre Montgomery – Stranger Things Redemption?
An unlikely but strangely suitable candidate for the role would be Dacre Montgomery who is most famous for his role as Billy in Stranger Things. At the perfect age and build to play Superman, Montgomery would be an interesting choice to replace Cavill in the DCU. Fans have argued that it would be preferable to replace Cavill with an actor that is not well-known to avoid comparisons and/or backlash. However, perhaps replacing Henry with another fan-favourite actor would be the smarter route to take.
Montgomery’s portrayal of Billy in Stranger Things is a stark contrast to the role he would be playing as Superman. Billy was ultimately a villain of sorts, but Dacre’s performance in the 2017 Power Rangers film proves that he can do both. Not to mention Dacre’s profile perfectly fits that of the comic book hero if he were to change his hair colour.
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2. Austin Butler – A Fan Favourite Selection
Upon looking at what many fans have to say on Reddit and many other online forums on the topic of re-casting Superman, Austin Butler’s name seems to come up a lot. Fans have argued that he would be perfect for the role due to his current good standing with Warner Bros Studios, and the Superman-Esque look he already has about him.
Furthermore, looking at Butler’s track record as an actor, he is doing quite well for his age. He has starred in well-known shows such as The Carrie Diaries, The Shannara Chronicles, and most recently, the film Elvis as Elvis Presley. Looking at the variety of characters he has played in these films/tv shows, it is apparent that he has the range to fill Superman’s boots. And taking his success in his most recent film into account, it would be a pity if Warner Brothers passed up on Butler as the next Superman.
1. Jacob Elordi – Euphoria’s Big Bad
Following his roles as Nate Jacobs in Euphoria and Noah Flynn in The Kissing Booth film series, it is surprising how little traction Jacob Elordi has received as an actor. That being said, his role as Nate Jacobs has more than proved Elordi’s on-screen skill. Another important factor to consider is the almost perfect match he would be in terms of physique and facial features. Most actors on this list fit the profile well. However, there is a reason Elordi is number one as his hair, eyes, and chiselled jaw fits Clark Kent to a tee.
Furthermore, upon hearing the news that Superman would be recast; fans flocked to social media to make a call to Warner Bros to consider Elordi for the role. On platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, fans were placing images of the actor and comic book hero side-by-side to compare. Some fans even went as far as creating fan art with Elordi’s face as a young Superman and Clark Kent.
Unfortunately for fans of DC (or the DCU) and more specifically, Superman, it is only speculation as to who will replace Henry Cavill and be the new face of Superman for the foreseeable future. Cavill certainly left his mark in his portrayal of the Man of Steel, and it certainly will be a big role to fill regardless of who gets cast in his place.
And although the actors listed here would offer a fresh take on the comic book hero, there is also the possibility of bolder casting choices that would completely change the classical look of Superman. Again, it is mere speculation on where Warner Bros plan to go with their casting decisions, but they have made it extremely clear that they are big on diversity. And it would be refreshing and interesting to possibly see a version of Clark Kent that breaks away from the traditional look.
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