While during the “Immortals” panel in Hall H at Comic-Con 2011, lead actor Henry Cavill remained relatively quiet and stayed mostly mum on his upcoming role of a lifetime as Superman in Zack Snyder‘s “Man of Steel,” he did allow that the story is “one of the best scripts I’ve ever read.”
Written by David S. Goyer (“The Dark Knight Rises“) and based off a story by Goyer and “Man of Steel” executive producer Christopher Nolan, this is relatively good news for anyone who’s a skeptic so far (and by reading our comments section, like “The Amazing Spider-Man,” there are lots of anti-reboot cynics lurking). What else is the guy going to say, the story’s terrible? Still, during the press conference afterwards, Cavill was slightly more forthcoming on his preparations for the picture.
The first major task seems to be bulking up, the exact opposite of what he had done with his lithe figure on “Immortals.” “The next job is, for example, I’m 25 pounds heavier now than I was on ‘Immortals,’ ” he said. “[That physicality has] prepared me emotionally. It teaches you how to negotiate and win the negotiation. It teaches you how to notice the lie in your head. As my trainer says, ‘It doesn’t have to be fun to be fun.’ ” Sure, whatever that means.
Regardless, is Cavill ready for the impending publicity and attention he’s going to get by playing the most iconic super hero of all time? “You make a choice,” he said of his conscious decision to take the role, knowing there’s bound to be baggage the follows. “Whether you focus on the — and I hate the word, celebrity aspect or not — I have chosen not to [think about that]. I know I can’t make everyone happy.”
Andrew Garfield has already spoken (almost tearfully, no less) about the responsibilities of putting on the Spider-Man costume and so one has to ask, does Cavill feel similar pressures? “It’s very humbling to be chosen to represent such an enormous character with so much depth but at the same time it’s a true honor,” he said. “I want to do justice and be the right guy for the job.”
“Man of Steel” was set to land in December 2012, but recently got bumped to summer 2013, which is not a bad idea if you’re one of those fans who hopes Christopher Nolan is around to give Snyder as many pointers as possible (we definitely fall into that camp). June 13, 2013 is a far ways off, but hopefully it’ll be worth the wait. Hopefully in that time, the estates of creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster will come to terms with Warner Bros. and DC, because rights are set to return back to them after 2012, but you know WB wants more than just a stand alone film. One assumes if/when they do come to terms the Siegel and Shuster estates are going to land a very hefty payday. – Reporting by Jeff Otto