Though Henry Cavill is officially stepping down as Superman to make way for David Corenswet in the upcoming reboot movie, we don't see his career (or his net worth) slowing down. Since his film career began in 2001 on the set of Laguna, Cavill has continued to show up on screens all across the country (and world) in films and TV shows like Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Witcher, and The Tudors.
Below we break down everything there is to know about Cavill's career and the work that earned him the big bucks.
Since he stepped into the spotlight more than two decades ago, Cavill has continued to make a name for himself in Hollywood. From his decade-long career as Superman in the DC Comics movies to his more recent roles in The Witcher and The Enola Holmes Mysteries, Cavill has earned an estimated $50 million according to Celebrity Net Worth. While that number is unconfirmed, it certainly fits his profile.
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Cavill's road to stardom has been a long one with his first taste of Hollywood beginning in 2001, when he played Thomas Aprea in the mafia movie Laguna. After that, he starred in several other lower-budget movies such as The Count of Monte Cristo, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Tristan & Isolde, and Stardust.
In 2007, Cavill got his first taste of more mainstream stardom when he played Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, in Showtime's series The Tudors. The show ran from 2007 to 2010, was nominated for a Golden Globe in its first year, and won an Emmy in 2008. Cavill also credits this series as the jumpstart his career needed.
"It's done the most for me to date... I've done more work here than I've done in England," he said in a 2010 interview. "Now that there's an audience somewhere in America that's aware of who I am, I have more sell-ability, because of The Tudors."
A year after The Tudors ended, Cavill found his leading spot in Hollywood when he was cast as Clark Kent/Superman in director Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. He quickly became a DC favorite among fans.
“In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time, and I am honored to be a part of his return to the big screen,” Snyder said in a statement at the time. “I also join Warner Bros., Legendary, and the producers in saying how excited we are about the casting of Henry. He is the perfect choice to don the cape and S shield.”
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Over the next decade, Cavill continued to play various roles as the superhero with the red cape, first in 2016 in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. In 2017 he turned up as Superman in the 2017 theatrical version of Justice League from director Joss Whedon. He appeared as the famous superhero once again in 2021 in Zack Snyder's Justice League, a director's cut, which premiered on HBO Max.
"When I got the part this time, it was very surreal and difficult to process because I had come close to some big stuff before, and your brain is always ready for that letdown of the thing not happening," Cavill said in Interview. "Obviously, this time there wasn’t that letdown, but, honestly, I didn’t really know how to react or behave. It was incredibly exciting—I remember looking in the mirror and going, 'I’m Superman.' But it was also one of those things where you go, 'This isn’t winning the lottery—it’s getting a lottery ticket. Now I’ve got to work out which numbers to scratch…So I saw it as more of an opportunity than, you know, 'Okay, I’ve won.'"
In 2019 Cavill began his journey as the mutant monster hunter Geralt of Rivia in the hit Netflix fantasy drama The Witcher. He left the show after three seasons and was later replaced by The Last Song actor Liam Hemsworth.
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"My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for season four," Cavill said in an Instagram post. "In my stead, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam's take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men."
Since his time as Geralt and Superman has ended, Cavill has gone on to play some pretty noteworthy characters including Sherlock Holmes in The Enola Holmes Mysteries and Gus March-Phillips in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
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