From #MeToo backlash to teen dating, to Henry Cavill’s controversial life when he was fired as Superman

AFTER more than a decade playing Superman, Henry Cavill became a kryptonite for studio bosses who cut him out of the iconic role.

And while they say they just need a younger model, some feel the 39-year-old British actor has become too controversial and outdated for them.

7

7

7

Just two months ago, the actor announced his triumphant return to the superhero franchise, but now he’s revealed he’s been asked to step aside – to the outrage of fans.

In a lengthy Instagram statement, Henry said that new DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran decided he wasn’t part of their “new universe”.

He added, “After the studio said to announce my return back in October, before they were hired, this news is not the easiest, but such is life.”

It’s a humiliating twist for the actor, who reportedly quit the hit Netflix show The Witcher to focus on his return as Superman.

The public reason for his firing is that Gunn and Safran, who took over DC Studios’ comic book franchise on Nov. 1, want the actor to be younger as their new film will focus on the hero’s youth.

But behind the scenes, Henry is no stranger to controversy, with backlash at comments he has made about women and outrage that he is dating an alleged animal killer, a woman caught in a racist storm, and a college student – not just old but outdated.

On social media, however, fans feel he was treated unfairly.

One of them wrote: “This can really hurt the dude’s career, he just quit The Witcher. Would he have done it if he knew Superman wasn’t coming?”

“Fires of Hell”

Henry, who grew up in Jersey and became an actor after meeting Russell Crowe in his youth, was once the most promising Briton.

He went from co-starring in the BBC series The Tudors to playing Superman in 2013’s Man of Steel, and was even considered the next James Bond.

His 23 million Instagram followers went berserk after he made a surprise appearance as Superman during the credits of Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam in October.

He then posted a cameo video along with the caption, “I wanted to make it official that I’m back as Superman.”

A week later, he told fans he was turning down the role of Geralt in The Witcher after three years, and it was rumored that he passed the mantle on to Liam Hemsworth to focus on his return as the Man of Steel.

He gave an interview in which he revealed how excited he was to play the “extremely joyful” Superman – just six days before Gunn and Safran became the new heads of DC Films.

In his own statement on Wednesday, Gunn, the acclaimed director best known for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy series, said they are now working on a film script “focused on the earlier part of Superman’s life” that will not feature Cavill.

Although the actor claimed that there were no hard feelings, this came after several torrid years when he was criticized for some of his comments.

In 2018, he stated that the #MeToo movement made him afraid to date women for fear of being “called a rapist”.

In an interview, he said, “I think a woman needs to be wooed and harassed, but maybe I’m old-fashioned.

“It is very difficult to do if there are certain rules. Because then it’s like, “Well, I don’t want to go and talk to her because I’m going to be called a rapist or something.”

“So you’re like, ‘Forget it. Instead, I’ll call my ex-girlfriend and then just go back to the relationship that never worked.”

“But it’s a lot safer than throwing yourself into hellfire because I’m in the public eye and if I go and flirt with someone, who knows what will happen?”

7

7

After the social media storm, Henry had to issue a derogatory statement, insisting that he “will continue to treat women with great respect.”

But fans love his #nofilter interviews, including one he gave about his lewd role in The Tudors, which he starred in from 2007 to 2010 with Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Natalie Dormer.

He said: “The girl had to be on top of me, she had impressive breasts, and I didn’t rearrange my things in a harmless position.

“She’s basically rubbing against me, and it’s gotten a little hard.”

Adding that he immediately “apologised profusely,” he continued, “It’s not great when you’re in a professional acting environment and someone gets a ***p, right?”

None of this seems to have stopped Henry’s infamous bachelor from seeking love, although his romantic history is more controversial.

He is currently dating a reality TV star-turned-Hollywood executive who has been revealed to have been blacked out in old photos online.

Natalie Viscuso, 33, was forced to apologize last year after photos from a 2008 trip to Namibia surfaced online.

Such was the scandal, the petition called on Netflix to remove her boyfriend from his role in The Witcher.

Henry had previously raised eyebrows by dating university student Tara King, then 19, whom he took with him to the London premiere of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016.

When asked about the 13-year age gap, Henry said: “People say age is just a number. This is actually a real and sure sign of someone’s maturity. But in this case, she’s great. When I met my girlfriend, I was very scared. I wanted to impress her.”

And even more furor was caused by his relationship with animal hunter Marisa Gonzalo, then 21 years old, whom Henry had dated for a year before meeting Tara.

An affair with Marisa, who posted photos of her m*rders online, angered fans because Henry had long been an animal rights activist with his own foundation, Cavill Conservation.

Other former MMA fighters Gina Carano, 40, and Big Bang star Kaley Cuoco, 37, whom he is said to have dated for just ten days, are among the former.

When the headlines don’t hit his love life, it’s his facial hair.

Henry may claim to have the most controversial mustache in Hollywood, which he grew for 2018’s Mission: Impossible: Fallout.

During filming in 2017, he had to go back and do reshoots for the DC blockbuster Justice League, in which he played a clean-shaven Superman.

Unable to shave off their hair during the filming of Mission: Impossible, the bosses of the DC films had to spend a rumored £20 million CGI-assisted hair removal – only to have fans ridicule the results.

7

7

Henry has admitted to struggling with some of the trolling he receives.

He said, “You look behind the curtain. You wonder: “What do people say about me? This is cute. Oh, how sweet.”

“But then you find one that isn’t. The one that says you’re only in a relationship to raise your status or prove you’re not gay. You think: “Why are they so nasty?”. Then you start shaping your behavior around the comments and that’s not normal.”

This brings back memories of his childhood when he was bullied for being chubby.

He said: “I was a fat kid, so I was an easy target. Fat Cavill is a nickname, a perfectly fair nickname, because I was fat.”

Acting was an escape inspired by meeting Russell Crowe, who was filming Proof of Life near 16-year-old Henry’s public school in Stowe, Bucks.

Advice from the Hollywood superstar led Henry to roles in cozy British dramas The Inspector Linley Mysteries, Goodbye Mr. Chips and The Midday Murders.

But when he landed the role of Superman in 2013, he thought he was ready for life.

“It’s a wonderful role,” he said.

“There is a huge potential for complex storytelling and I look forward to exploring those possibilities. Come on, it’s Superman! You can’t be annoyed by the thought of playing Superman for the rest of your life.”

That dream may already be over, but another iconic role could be on the cards instead.

Henry auditioned for the role of James Bond in 2005 but lost out to Daniel Craig after he was deemed “too chubby”.

Since the news of his departure from Superman broke, the Hollywood star is now the bookies’ favorite to replace Craig.

So the fickle rollercoaster that the Hollywood franchise is can make him a hero again.