Why does everyone seemingly keeps to be screwing the pooch around Henry Cavill?

[Oliver James]

So watching The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, it's actually quite a good action film. I understand though it didn't earn that much, if at all. Then you have The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Argylle, and his Superman films. I honestly think Henry is just unlucky. Usually, DC's films aren't seen as favorably compared to Marvel films. Then The Witcher as I have read, has been a not good adaptation as well.

Everyone seems to love Henry. But are the people actually there supporting him? If yes, how so? If not, why do you think it is? He's clearly not lacking on looks, talent, and charm. So what is it?

 

[Rangerx]

A lot of people think he is lacking in talent.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

He's not really a great actor. It seems like he's pretty good at action and stunt work but in terms of actually playing characters it's...not his strength.

Even his best role, Geralt, is one where he spends most of his scenes not talking. Honestly given his level of talent, he's been given way more chances than a lot of "handsome dude who can't act" face actors.

 

[SCUMMbag]

I think he's fine but entirely forgettable outside of that fact that plays PC games and is a big nerd.

 

[SinnyIndonesian]

He needs to get a new agent. His agent up until a year or so ago was part of Dwayne Johnson's nepo production house/agency. A bunch of incompetent fuckups.

 

[ClickyCal']

Henry's peak

 

[Chorazin]

I think he ends up playing more stoic characters like Geralt and Superman, whereas he's best in roles like Ungentlemanly Warfare where his character actually has some charisma and is a lot of fun to watch.

 

[Lotus]

Meh, he ain't a good enough actor for me to feel sorry about

Shit happens I guess

 

[Keiriks]

Henry's peak

Click to shrink...

ugh yes 😍

 

[Mesoian]

He'd kind of type cast. He's stuck in these mid range upscale white guy roles that all hinge on being faux British spy fiction, meanwhile people were going crazy when he was cocking his arms like a gun.

I think he just needs more challenging roles that innocuous but large white man or geeky outlier.

 

[JustTeaThankYou]

Henry's peak

Click to shrink...

Agree. I haven't seen him in anything else where I thought he was noteworthy

 

[Oliver James]

A lot of people think he is lacking in talent.

Click to shrink...

Do you think so too?

He's not really a great actor. It seems like he's pretty good at action and stunt work but in terms of actually playing characters it's...not his strength.

Even his best role, Geralt, is one where he spends most of his scenes not talking.

Click to shrink...

Well his current filmography doesn't really call for that much of a range. Does he need to branch out?

I think he's fine but entirely forgettable outside of that fact that plays PC games and is a big nerd.

Click to shrink...

Is he that forgettable though, it seems everyone knows him

He needs to get a new agent. His agent up until a year or so ago was part of Dwayne Johnson's nepo production house/agency. A bunch of incompetent fuckups.

Click to shrink...

I'm actually quite surprised he keeps getting projects because his filmography when it comes to box office leaves much to be desired, and I actually thought that the agent might be the possible problem. So what's the problem with them, picking bad projects?

 

[Holundrian]

Just a sign that it still take a lot of luck for projects to succeed in other ways other than getting greenlit.
People talking about acting ability yall missing the point. Keanu ain't the most impressive actor either and yet the guy had overall a better hand of projects going for him as of this point. Like what kind of acting are people pretending would have saved Batman vs Superman? It's not that type of movie.

Of course you could talk about in an armchair theoretical min/max way about his ability as a set member of any movie to uplift his surrounding crew and that maybe could have done a bit, but reality is movies tend to still be quite collaborative and any single actor only has so much control unless you're reaching that point in skill/career opportunity where you become an actor/director that has a lot of sway.

 

[Tamanon]

Henry's cool, but he honestly doesn't seem to have leading man energy to me. Like, give me a buddy cop synergy with him and someone else(he's the "co"-lead) and let's go.

 

[Wrexis]

Highlander might get him a John Wick style franchise. But yeah I think he peaked at Mission Impossible.

 

[Hamchan]

Argyle is the only one where it's a bit iffy for me. Otherwise his career seems fine.

Yeah, The Witcher adaptation sucks and his Superman was in an unfortunate universe, but both have boosted his profile significantly, where he has gained popularity and no one has ever blamed him for those failures.

He's starring in those Guy Ritchie films and Ritchie is a very up and down director, in both success and quality of his films, so it's not too surprising.

Cavill we be the face of the Warhammer 40k adaptations soon, so another fairly big property to be in for him.

 

[SCUMMbag]

Is he that forgettable though, it seems everyone knows him

Click to shrink...

You're on a video game forum and's he's played Superman, Geralt and built a PC.

 

[Klyka]

Henry is like ULTRA charismatic so he needs to be in roles in which he can bring that charisma out
sadly a lot of those roles have been in the type of movies that don't really put butts in the seats

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Well his current filmography doesn't really call for that much of a range. Does he need to branch out?

Click to shrink...

I mean the question is: does he want to? It kinda seems to me like both he and his agent WANT "leading man" parts, even though he's not particularly charismatic except when he's talking about the shit he's nerdy about. You need a certain X-factor to be a workable leading man, and Cavill has been given so many chances to flex that muscle if he has it that I just think the truth is that he doesn't.

Now, some actors are genuinely way better at comedy than serious parts (for example, I think Emilia Clarke and Pedro Pascal are INFINITELY more watchable doing comedy than they are doing drama, though Pascal is good at anything he's given), but unless Cavill wants to try to DO full-on comedy I don't know if we'll ever find out if he can.

I think one of the central issues is that WB really, really wanted to make him a big deal because Snyder picked him and pushed super (pun intended) hard for him. The same way that Hollywood seems desperate to make Gal Gadot a star even though she literally can't deliver a single line convincingly to save her life. Some of these WB actors are known more for the fact that they exist than they are for being good actors.

 

[Mister Ursine]

I think his acting talent and charisma are overstated, especially online. He's good looking though.

If you're coasting on sex appeal, mainly just doing Boy Movies (action movies) isn't the move. Look at Glen Powell or Channing Tatum. Both more charming, but they mix it up with an Anyone But You or Magic Mike. Cavill should be working with a different type of director, just once, as a treat. Hitching yourself to Matthew Vaughn and Guy Ritchie, who basically make the same type of movie now, isn't helping things.

And then his panic move to save his career after the Superman stuff imploded publicly is to go back to the nerdy adaptation space. I'm sure his team had to scramble there, but again, it's just doing the same type of thing.

 

[Rangerx]

Do you think so too?

Click to shrink...

Yeah.

 

[ArjanN]

I thought the man from U.N.C.L.E was better than the majority of Bond movies.

But honestly I feel actors also largely have to get lucky guessing if a movie will be any good overall. No actor is going to say no to being in a Batman VS Superman movie, but the problem with that movie wasn't the acting.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

I think his acting talent and charisma are overstated, especially online. He's good looking though.

If you're coasting on sex appeal, mainly just doing Boy Movies (action movies) isn't the move. Look at Glen Powell or Channing Tatum. Both more charming, but they mix it up with an Anyone But You or Magic Mike. Cavill should be working with a different type of director, just once, as a treat. Hitching yourself to Matthew Vaughn and Guy Ritchie, who basically make the same type of movie now, isn't helping things.

And then his panic move to save his career after the Superman stuff imploded publicly is to go back to the nerdy adaptation space. I'm sure his team had to scramble there, but again, it's just doing the same type of thing.

Click to shrink...

Channing had to put in the WORK to dispel the meathead image, too. He CAN act but it only really clicked once he really leaned in to being able to make fun of himself and laugh along with everybody else. Once he opened that door it was transformative.

 

[Risitas]

Good or not he's clearly unlucky

 

[BLEEN]

He's just not that great an actor. Middling is probably the best term for him. Dare I say – mid?

 

[Liquidsnake]

I'm sorry, but he is not a bad actor certainly not as bad as some are portraying him to be.he was excellent in The Tudors and showed his acting chops very early on.

 

[Autumn]

Hard to find hit roles.

 

[GoodGrief]

He keeps trying to be a face but he excels as a heel. Mission Impossible, Geralt, all his best roles have him playing an overtly unlikable jerk. Even his Superman only clicked when he was evil in Justice League.

He needs to go the Dave Bautista route. Accept interesting supporting roles that actually take advantage of his physicality instead of boring lead roles that just call for hot white guy.

 

[skeezx]

all things considered he's had a pretty good career.

seems worse than it does with the double whammy of DCEU mishandling and whatever the hell went down on The Witcher. and shades of typecasting going on (once you're Superman you'll always be Superman)

 

[Seneset]

Is he that forgettable though, it seems everyone knows him

Click to shrink...

Who is everyone? However, even if i agreed with the premise. Being well known isn't enough to carry a film on it's own. Like other's have said, he's missing that something that makes you a great leading man.

 

[kowhite]

Good or not he's clearly unlucky

Click to shrink...

This guy is good looking. Healthy. Famous. Has made more money than you and I will ever make. And his career isn't dead. I would not call this man unlucky. Like I wish I was this unlucky.

 

[thewienke]

I think his acting talent and charisma are overstated, especially online. He's good looking though.

If you're coasting on sex appeal, mainly just doing Boy Movies (action movies) isn't the move. Look at Glen Powell or Channing Tatum. Both more charming, but they mix it up with an Anyone But You or Magic Mike. Cavill should be working with a different type of director, just once, as a treat. Hitching yourself to Matthew Vaughn and Guy Ritchie, who basically make the same type of movie now, isn't helping things.

And then his panic move to save his career after the Superman stuff imploded publicly is to go back to the nerdy adaptation space. I'm sure his team had to scramble there, but again, it's just doing the same type of thing.

Click to shrink...

Wow has it really been since the Tudors when he last played any kind of sorta romantic role? Unless we're counting a few scenes from the Witcher.

 

[Tamanon]

I think his acting talent and charisma are overstated, especially online. He's good looking though.

If you're coasting on sex appeal, mainly just doing Boy Movies (action movies) isn't the move. Look at Glen Powell or Channing Tatum. Both more charming, but they mix it up with an Anyone But You or Magic Mike. Cavill should be working with a different type of director, just once, as a treat. Hitching yourself to Matthew Vaughn and Guy Ritchie, who basically make the same type of movie now, isn't helping things.

And then his panic move to save his career after the Superman stuff imploded publicly is to go back to the nerdy adaptation space. I'm sure his team had to scramble there, but again, it's just doing the same type of thing.

Click to shrink...

It is a good point. Maybe he doesn't want the material, but I think he's not a top action star so maybe branching out with a serious or romantic role would help.

 

[Genesius]

All I hope is that the 40K stuff turns out as good as Fallout.

 

[Soj]

Guy Ritchie knows how to use him correctly, but those movies haven't been hits.

The projects he picks mostly seem good on paper, I think it's just kinda bad luck. Maybe he just needs to find his Deadpool.

 

[pbayne]

might just be bad luck. Kind of like edris elba, good looking charismatic dude but he seems to get attached to some real dreck at times.

 

[gforguava]

I think the big problem is that he doesn't seem to have the anima to make the more stoic roles he has been drawn to work. His Superman is obviously the biggest example, his stoicism doesn't read as intense but rather as boredom, there is no internality.

But then you have Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Mission: Impossible where his character is still 'serious man' but he gets to bounce of livelier people and he is much, much better.

 

[KingM]

I don't think he's particularly good and he chooses some real stinkers. He's a Taylor Kitsch who has infinite chances somehow.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

I don't think he's particularly good and he chooses some real stinkers. He's a Taylor Kitsch who has infinite chances somehow.

Click to shrink...

Same shit with Gal Gadot. I do not know why Hollywood keeps trying with her. Maybe Death on the Nile and the end of the Snyderverse will mean we'll finally be free of her.

 

[Lord Vatek]

I think he's a mid-tier actor who gets gassed up by fans because he's a hot nerd who played Superman.

Same with Gal Gadot (though she's way worse for many reasons).

 

[JoeInky]

I mean, he seems like a nice enough guy but there's not anything particularly special about him?

 

[BebopCola]

Henry's peak

Click to shrink...

This is the true peak performance here, boyos.

 

[KingM]

Same shit with Gal Gadot. I do not know why Hollywood keeps trying with her. Maybe Death on the Nile and the end of the Snyderverse will mean we'll finally be free of her.

Click to shrink...

Being a super hero from a franchise with a hyper vocal fan base helps. We're one announcement away from WW84 being declared a masterpiece and Bring Gal Back trending.

 

[Nappuccino]

Guy needs to get a Warhammer 40k movie off the ground.

 

[Ouroboros]

Hollywood hates nerds.

 

[Chumunga64]

Henry's peak

Click to shrink...

John Lark is a character that's cool in a moment but after the movie's done, you think about him and realize he's such an incompetent loser

 

[NativeTongue]

He'd kind of type cast. He's stuck in these mid range upscale white guy roles that all hinge on being faux British spy fiction, meanwhile people were going crazy when he was cocking his arms like a gun.

I think he just needs more challenging roles that innocuous but large white man or geeky outlier.

Click to shrink...

Like a white Dave Baustita.

 

[Mesoian]

Like a white Dave Baustita.

Click to shrink...

I mean yeah.

 

[Royalan]

I hesitate to say it's a lack of talent, because plenty of actors are lacking in that department. And I really don't think he's untalented; Cavill's acting has never been the problem in any project I've seen him in (even if it's also not the selling point).

From where I sit, I see three things:

1) He spent a large chunk of his career chained to a doomed project (Superman/DCEU). You can compare him to someone like Daniel Craig here; this was clearly meant to be a blockbuster franchise that had him set and steadily working for decades. Except well...Bond needed no help taking off.

2) His branding is kind of all over the place. He's a charismatic tall white guy with an athletic build, so "Action" would be his lane you'd think. But as narrow as that lane is it's still hard to peg him; the projects he chooses are really inconsistent and all over the place.

3) ...as unsavory as it is, Cavill really doesn't capitalize on his looks. If that's not something he wants to do more power to him I'm not judging; but there's no denying that he's extraordinarily attractive in the conventional sense. And usually, actors who have that to their credit (and even many who don't) keep their brands up between large projects by doing campaigns -- fashion, modeling, fragrance, watches, weird-as-fuck car commercials, you name it. I don't follow Cavill very closely, but a quick Google and a look at his IG shows me that the largest thing he's done recently is...a campaign for Boss eyewear? Which, while nothing to sneeze at, was back in 2019.

 

[Dragon Puncher]

I think he has been kinda unlucky.

Superman I won't hold against him since Zack Snyder wasn't as big a joke back in 2011-2012 when production on that film started, compared to today. But of course you get stuck in that role for multiple films.

Argyle was horseshit and he should have seen that coming a mile away. Man from Uncle I think is fine and while The Witcher turned to shit, the idea was good and his acting works in it.

His big issue is that all the big roles that should have brought him to stardom kinda fizzled out and didn't become the huge hits you might expect.