I've never seen Henry Cavill in any film or TV program. Is he as tall as anyone who's ever played Superman before in live-action?
Superman (casting, rumors, pix till release)
- Thread starter Obiwanshinobi
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Cavil is 6"1" - not particularly tall, really.
^ 6'1" according to http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0147147/bio
The Calgary Herald's a good source (that's where the blog got its info from) and there have been similar reports. It makes sense since the first Superman and Superman III also were shot in part out there.
The sad part about the casting announcement is the maniacs have already come out of the woodwork. Some guy posted a comment on a Zap2It blog report about the casting calling Cavill a terrorist and making a death threat, apparently because he was mad that an American wasn't cast. I reported the post to the authorities, but it's a shame that casting a frelling movie is making some people think of violence. God help us when the time comes to recast Batman again.
Alex
For comparison: Christopher Reeve was 6'4". Brandon Routh and Tom Welling are 6'3". Dean Cain is 6'.
Reeve created the expectation that Superman should be "Very Tall". While before that he was usually portrayed as average height or slightly more than that. As first drawn by Joe Shuster he seems short by todays standards.
I am 6'1" and I am treated as a giant by a significant portion of the population! LOL!
I am 6'1" and I am treated as a giant by a significant portion of the population! LOL!
6'1'' is certainly tall enough to enable a director and his camera crew to make an actor look imposing on screen. Hollywood has a lot of experience at that sort of thing given how many major stars are shorties.
Being that the majority of the film takes place during and in WWII, and being that the majority of WWII took place NOT in America...it kinda' makes sense.
The expectation that Superman is really tall started when Wayne Boring started drawing the character in the late 40s. Boring made Superman (and Kent) taller than Shuster's squatter, beefy-brawned Superman. And, of course, the great Curt Swan also drew Supes at 6-foot-plus.
Superman: Earth One has gone back to the averaged-height Superman, eschewing the taller, overly buff (or overly flexed depending on the artist) version that normally appears in the regular books.
Cavill looks the part, but I can't really remember him from The Tudors. Then again, I've only seen part of the first season.
I happened to like Routh. I thought he captured Clark Kent in away that wasn't too over the top in his awkwardness. He really captured the "mild-mannered" aspect of the character more than Reeve.
One of the problems with "Returns" is that it didn't give Routh a lot of opportunity to really act as Superman.
According to DC Comics, Superman is officially 6'3". So Cavill is close.
Other Superman/Superboy actor heights, because I like making lists:
The first two screen Supermen, Kirk Alyn and George Reeves, were both 6'1", the same height as Cavill. Both stars of the syndicated '88 Superboy, John Haymes Newton and Gerard Christopher, were 6 feet even. David Wilson, star of the TV version of the infamous musical It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman, is just shy of 6'3".
I'm not familiar with Cavill, but he has the right facial structure. In fact, he's one of the most classically square-jawed actors ever attached to the Superman role. He looks more like Superman to me than Tom Welling, Dean Cain, or particularly Brandon Routh.
And I don't think it matters that he's not American, considering that he's playing a character who isn't even native to Earth.
I am a little disappointed that Brandon Routh wasn't chosen. I thought he did a good job and deserved another chance. HOWEVER, just seeing the looks of Henry Cavill I am not disappointed! I think he really does look the part! I just hope he can act well enough for the dual role!
Fuck this crap. I guess I'll not be enjoying it as much. I was rooting for Brandon Routh ever since Supes Returns. He certainly got the short end.
Called it.
Fantastic, fantastic casting.
I dont think Routh even had a chance. They're trying to separate themeselves from any of the previous incarnations as much as possible, so why would they get Routh again? For all intent and purposes this is a reboot of the franchise. So what if Cavill just totally blows Routh, Cain, & Reeves out of the water? Will you still not enjoy it as much then?
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I do agree that Routh was gypped but certainly you're not going to close your mind to this movie just because your actor of choice wasn't selected?
I doubt that Routh's contract was the short end of the stick, particularly if it had a standard three picture pay-or-play deal attached to it.
If Cavill is going to be Superman, I guess this means he won't follow up Daniel Craig as Bond. Now that can really be Fassbender. 
I admit part of my disinterest in Superman Returns was that I don't really care for Routh. Perhaps he wasn't bad or it wasn't a bad film, but I'm glad Cavill will be a little bit older and classing it up a bit. I just hope he has the right accent.
I admit part of my disinterest in Superman Returns was that I don't really care for Routh. Perhaps he wasn't bad or it wasn't a bad film, but I'm glad Cavill will be a little bit older and classing it up a bit. I just hope he has the right accent.
I don't see why not. Cavill's only 27 right now; he probably needs a few more years on him before he'll really be right for the role, but the rumor is he was very close to getting the role in Casino Royale before the producers (wisely) decided to go with the older Daniel Craig. If Bond 23 (for lack of an actual title) proves to be successful in 2012, I'm sure Craig will be back for at least one more outing. Given Craig's age by that time (he turns 43 in a few weeks), I can see him calling it quits after that.If Cavill is going to be Superman, I guess this means he won't follow up Daniel Craig as Bond. Now that can really be Fassbender.
So presumably we'll be looking at a new James Bond sometime around 2017 or 2018. Henry Cavill will be in his mid-thirties by then, and I don't see why he couldn't play both James Bond and Superman. Especially since (if this new take on the character becomes a trilogy, for example) by then, he might be done, or close to being done, playing the latter character.
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