James Gunn has long been one of the most famous names in superhero filmmaking, his influence felt across both the Marvel and DC cinematic universes. But for Henry Cavill at least, who is currently enjoying a bit of a moment in the DCEU himself, Gunn apparently remains a bit of an unknown quantity.
On hand to promote Enola Holmes 2, which releases on Netflix this week, Cavill reacted to the news that Gunn would be taking over DC Studios alongside Peter Safran.
"I have not met James yet," Cavill admitted in an interview with IGN. "I'm looking very forward to meeting him. He's clearly a very, very talented man, and I cannot wait to sit down and have long, long conversations with him. I'm very excited about him being there and very excited about any future opportunities we can work together."
Gunn's ascension parallels Cavill's own return to the DCEU. In interviews following the release of Black Adam, in which Dwayne Johnson talked at length about the possibility of a Black Adam vs. Superman bout, Cavill spoke of playing a "joyful Superman."
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What Cavill means by a "joyful Superman"
Asked to elaborate, Cavill talked about how Superman "means so much for so many people," which can in turn relate to one's own experience.
"What really gets me about Superman is that he represents the best of the human soul, the greatest of the human soul. It's not just his powers. It's his heart. It's his heart that makes him so special. And even when he's going through stuff, he's still giving to others. He's still protecting others. He's the one who will always reach out and always give. And in that is so much wonder and power. And it's such, as I say, a joyful thing that it's not a mournful weight," Cavill says.
"It is something that is a gift. To be giving is a gift because it makes people feel a certain way, and it also makes them want to be giving in return to other people. There's just something so magnificent about that. And, of course, then, that's a very broad-stroke piece. But once you get into the nitty-gritty details of that, and once you start applying that storytelling and to all the wonderful, exciting villains that he may come across, then you have a world adventure and a world where an audience leaves the cinema feeling fantastic."
What really gets me about Superman is that he represents the best of the human soul
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Cavill is currently at the center of several Superman rumors, including reports that Warner Bros. Discovery is working on a Man of Steel 2. They coincide with word that Cavill will not be reprising his role as Geralt in Netflix's Witcher series.
One way or another, Cavill is commanding more of the spotlight than ever, meaning that when he does have his inevitable conversation with Gunn, it will be very interesting indeed. For now, his focus is on Enola Holmes 2, which releases November 4.
Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.