Henry Cavill Talks ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, Critiques ‘Justice League’ CGI

Henry Cavill recently broke his silence about his cameo in “Deadpool & Wolverine” with a playful nod to his past CGI controversy in “Justice League.” Posting on Instagram, Cavill shared a photo of his role in the Marvel movie and made a lighthearted joke about the facial hair problems he faced during the DC film’s reshoots.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” introduces Deadpool, played by Ryan Reynolds, into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In the film, Deadpool sets out on a mission to save his world from the Time Variance Authority. Along the way, he encounters various versions of Wolverine, portrayed by Hugh Jackman, inspired by different comic book iterations of the character.

One notable scene showcases Cavill as a Wolverine variant, aptly named “The Cavillerine” in the credits. Seen smoking a cigar and working on a motorbike, Cavill’s Wolverine variant interacts with Deadpool in a brief but memorable sequence. The encounter ends with Cavill’s character delivering a punch that sends Deadpool flying, thanks to his Adamantium claws.

This role is seen as a playful response to fan suggestions that Henry Cavill should take on the Wolverine character alongside the Avengers in the MCU. This speculation emerged primarily because many did not expect Hugh Jackman to reprise his role after he seemingly retired the character in 2017’s “Logan.”

On Monday, Cavill humorously addressed his appearance as Wolverine on Instagram, writing, “To be safe, I shaved the moustache off for this one. Just the moustache.” This joke references not only Wolverine’s distinct mutton chops beard, which lacks a mustache but also the infamous CGI controversy from the 2017 “Justice League” movie.

Fans might remember that Cavill was filming “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” when he had to return for “Justice League” reshoots. Due to his contractual obligations, Cavill could not shave his mustache for the new scenes. Warner Bros. attempted to solve this dilemma using CGI to digitally remove the mustache from Superman’s face.

The resulting effect was less than convincing, drawing considerable criticism from fans who found the digital editing to be distractingly obvious. Despite this, “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” went on to gross $791 million worldwide according to Box Office Mojo, making it the highest-grossing entry in the franchise. It also received widespread acclaim from both audiences and critics.

In contrast, “Justice League” did not fare as well. Earning $661 million, it failed to break even and faced widespread negative reviews. This triggered a campaign among DC fans urging Warner Bros. to release the original version of the film, which director Zack Snyder had worked on before stepping away due to a family tragedy.

Responding to public demand, Warner Bros. finally released “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” in 2021. This version omitted the poorly edited scenes of Cavill’s face, offering a more coherent and well-received portrayal of the film.

Cavill’s tongue-in-cheek Instagram post serves as a clever nod to these past challenges while marking his exciting debut in the MCU, engaging fans from both Marvel and DC universes alike.

Source: Business Insider