If Henry Cavill were to play Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it could be a chance for a stronger superhero role than his divisive Superman. Although now getting plaudits for his turn as Geralt in Netflix’s The Witcher, Cavill is far-and-away best known as the most recent big-screen iteration of Clark Kent.

Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Superman was controversial, to say the least. While many appreciated his look and charisma when it shined through, the approach taken on his DC movies was a version of Superman many people couldn’t get behind. Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice had Cavill playing a dark, brooding Superman who killed and fought for morality. Justice League only complicated things, attempting to add some more humor and lightness, but ended up going too far (and was further hampered by a bad CG upper lip).

But for all the backlash and back-and-forth, Cavill was good as the broody and dark superhero. The issue was the hero he was applying it too. In contrast, Wolverine would be a perfect avenue for such a performance. As someone who’s essentially immortal, can’t remember his past, and has knives coming out of his hands, Wolverine can be a dark character with no one thinking that he’s out of sorts.

While Henry Cavill’s work in the DCEU looms large over any Marvel rumors, playing Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher has done a lot to dispel those concerns. He’s truly charismatic as Geralt, doing his own stunts to add a level of physicality to the role and helping it feel like he’s always the character, whether in conversations or in a fight. Cavill also nails the gray morality that Geralt and Logan share: trying to stay neutral, but taking a definitive side when pushed. Before that, there was The Man From U.N.C.L.E., which showed a cooler, suaver side that, while not all Wolverine, certainly attests to Cavill’s range.

Of course, it’s still a question of if Cavill would be cast as Wolverine. Cavill denies reports that he’s no longer playing Superman in the DCEU, although it wouldn’t be out of character for Marvel to pick from the competition. In the past, they’ve cast actors from other franchises like Fantastic Four’s Chris Evans and Michael B. Jordan as Captain America and Killmonger respectively. If anything, the bigger barrier is The Witcher, which is currently filming season 2 and could conceivably run for much longer.

Next: When We Predict Wolverine Will Finally Appear In The MCU

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