With the release of the new Superman movie, it was always going to be the case that fans and critics would compare the new version of the Man of Steel played by David Corenswet to the previous version played by Henry Cavill. Some of the comparisons have been more favorable to one actor over the other, but none have been quite as funny as a viral Twitter post that suggests that David Corenswet is just Henry Cavill after being exposed to The Substance.
A viral post on Twitter puts the two Superman actors side by side, in shots where they look remarkably similar, and then includes a line that will be easily recognizable to those who saw The Substance:
Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? Younger, more beautiful, more perfect. One single injection unlocks your DNA, starting a new cellular division that will release another version of yourself. This is the Substance.
While there’s certainly a visual similarity between Henry Cavill and David Corenswet when they’re flying around as Superman, you don’t actually realize how much Corenswet looks like a young Henry Cavill until you see them outside the costume.
One certainly expects the different actors to have played Superman in live-action to look similar. The character has a fairly traditional design after all. They sort of all look alike to one degree or another. Although, if Nicholas Hoult had been cast as Superman, which nearly happened, we wouldn’t have quite the similarity that we have here. It seems unlikely Coresnwet’s resemblance to Cavill played any real part in his casting, but if we somehow learned that it did, I’m not sure anybody would be shocked.
Now that I think about it... has anybody seen Henry Cavill and David Corenswet in the same room? Is it possible that Cavill has taken The Substance and has actually become the new Superman and the two are trading off weeks? Henry Cavill is set to play the Highlander soon, but perhaps he's found a different way to try and be immortal.
While I find the post pretty funny, it has to be said that not everybody does. While it’s clearly meant as a fun joke pointing out that, more than a decade after Man of Steel, a younger actor of similar build has taken on the iconic role, many seem to feel the post is meant as a specific attack on the older Henry Cavill.
Nobody is saying that Henry Cavill doesn’t still look amazing. He’s aged remarkably well and is still capable of leading major blockbusters – as he’s already set to do with future projects including Voltron, Highlander, and the Warhammer franchise he loves so much. Superman is Cavill's past, but it's expected to be David Corenswet's future – and you can see the start of his legacy in theaters everywhere now.
