After losing his position as Superman, Henry Cavill found support from a wide range of fans. Now, none other than Captain Kirk is reaching out, as William Shatner has tweeted his support for Cavill.
This week, William Shatner tweeted, “Sending my best wishes to #HenryCavill When a door closes; a window opens.”
Although a phone booth-shaped door has slammed in the face of Cavill, a window has indeed opened for the actor, as he will be starring in and producing an adaptation of the game Warhammer 40,000 for Amazon.
While playing Superman is obviously one of the biggest opportunities when it comes to comic book movies, one wonders if Henry Cavill has dodged a speeding bullet–which of course he would have been faster than anyway. After all, playing one role for so long can lead to typecasting for many actors.
The Clark Kent/Superman character seems prone to this. Famously, the original Superman, George Reeves–who played the Man of Steel on Adventures of Superman and in various public appearances–was almost exclusively tied to the role. The most famous Superman, Christopher Reeve–who played the character in four major motion pictures–actively tried to avoid being typecast, taking on more challenging roles in films like Deathtrap and Street Smart.
To tie it back into William Shatner, the Star Trek actor himself faced his own fear of typecasting following his departure from Star Trek. In 2020, Shatner tweeted, “I didn’t understand this [Star Trek] fandom thing for a long time. I didn’t want to be typecast as the space guy. I hated doing convention appearances. Once you understand fandom you begin to see the loyalty & love the fans have for your work”.
Despite attempts at dodging the character, William Shatner ended up playing Captain Kirk in seven movies following the conclusion of Star Trek: The Original Series, showing that, after all, he must have a sincere fondness for the character and its fanbase. And come on, the dude went to space!
What was your reaction when Henry Cavill was ousted as Superman? Do you think his career will still be strong following his official departure from the role? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!