By Henry Cavill may or may not be leaving his role as Superman. While in the midst of what seems like movie star nonsense, the mere mention of Cavill hanging up the cape sparked speculation around the DCEU fanbases. And sure, we could sit around and say it should be this person or that actor from that one thing or Dean Cain, but let’s put some stakes on it. Courtesy of Bet Online, fans can wager on who they think will be the next Kal-El.
(For those unfamiliar with the intricate ways of gambling odds, the number next to the actor’s name represents potential winnings if an even $100 is placed. For example, if an actor is +500 to win the part, you’d have to bet $100 to win $500. If an actor is +1000, $100 nets $1,000, and so on. Make sense? Good).
Here are the odds:
Michael B. Jordan +125
Armie Hammer +350
Henry Golding +1000
Benjamin Walker +1600
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson +900
Will Smith +5000
Tyler Hoechlin +900
Ryan Gosling +1000
Nicolas Cage +3300
Ben Affleck +5000
Mark Wahlberg +1200
Idris Elba +600
Because it’s fun to pretend, let’s say I have a thousand dollars in my couch cushions and want to turn that couch into a full-size replica of the Iron Throne. Here’s how I’d make my bets:
The Safety School group:
Michael B. Jordan ($200 to win $250)
Armie Hammer ($200 to win $700)
Jordan is only thirty-one but has already had an impressive career. From his all-too-brief time on The Wire to his breakout in Fruitvale Station to his current run as Adonis Creed, Jordan has only gotten better. One thing missing from his resume is the role of a superhero (Fantastic Four is a giant media conspiracy steeped in the Mandela Effect and never happened, okay? IT NEVER HAPPENED). Jordan as the Big Blue Boy Scout would be an obvious choice. He’s already played a stellar — albeit controversial — villain in Black Panther, and now DC could turn him into a hero and the face of the DCEU.
Hammer looks like he’s straight out of the pages of the Superman comic. So he’s got that going for him, which is nice. Whether or not he has the chops to fulfill a role as large and expansive as Superman would be the key factor in the studios’ decision to give him the job given the criticism Cavill faced throughout his tenure.
The I Could See It group:
Tyler Hoechlin ($200 to win $1,800)
Henry Golding ($100 to win $1,000)
Hoechlin may be too obvious since he already plays Supes on Supergirl, and heaven forbid Warner Bros. use the actor from a TV show to play the same character on the big screen (right, Grant Gustin?). While the past preferences from the studio may side against Hoechlin, he’s already got the recognition and the background to potentially earn him the role.
Golding is hot off the success of Crazy Rich Asians and has breakout star potential. While he may not have the resume to back him up, he could be a risk worth taking as Warner Bros. re-evaluates its current situation.
The Desperation Three group:
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson ($100 to win $900)
Idris Elba ($200 to win $1,200)
As much fun as it would be to see either Johnson or Elba as Superman, neither seems like a good fit. Both have the star power to draw a large audience, but that’s not an issue for Warner Bros. The story and handling of the prior films are what drew the ire of viewers, and with those problems, it doesn’t matter who the lead is. Should the studio rectify those pitfalls they would also have to decide if they want a younger actor to pave the new road, or take a chance on the likes of Johnson or Elba, both forty-six. And if the Affleck as Batman experiment is any indication, a younger Superman is likely in the cards. Speaking of Affleck…
The Flush Your Money group:
Ben Affleck
Mark Wahlberg
Will Smith
Here are some other things you could do with the money instead of putting on these three:
1. Make an origami shirt and leave it for someone to find
2. Re-create this Blink-182 video
3. Make everyone hate you by buying shots of Fireball
4. Make everyone hate you by buying kegs of Nattie
5. Make everyone you just bought Fireball and Nattie for love you by buying pizza
6. Buy the majority share of MoviePass and feel what it is to burn (I’m so sorry)
I’m sure there are other things you can think of, but it’s a jumping off point.
Of these three, only Wahlberg hasn’t played a hero of some sort. Remember when Affleck was cast as Batman and everyone was like “did we all forget about DareDevil?” Now we can do that twice and throw in some Martha jokes. Plus, how insane would Warner Bros. have to be to take Affleck, who also quit his DCEU role, and insert him as Superman like nothing ever happened? It’s not like sports where a player can switch teams and no one bats an eye. Though it is like sports in that anyone can quit at any time.
Will Smith already played a drunk version of Superman in Hancock, so the Twitterverse would be full of “lol Hancock got clean #FlySoberOrGetPulledOver” jokes and memes. Throw in the unlikeliness of the aforementioned members of the mid-forties club and you can close the book on these three.
The “Holy Crap I Hope They Pick Nicolas Cage” group:
