Let’s just state the obvious first and say that Henry Cavill is definitely one of the most in-demand actors out there right now, and doesn’t appear that his star is going to dim anytime soon. But if he gets his wish to become Captain Britain, it’s tough to say whether or not he’s going to fit into the MCU just as well as he did the DCEU. Many people would say that of course, he’s going to fit in, that he’ll be perfect for such a role, especially since he’s already researched the character and is fully aware of what he’s all about. That’s the kind of actor that you can’t help but think is someone that you can rely on when it comes to casting him for a role. The only downside about this is that much like a few of the heroes that have been introduced recently, not a lot of people know that much about Brian Braddock, aka Captain Britain. Personally, I didn’t know anything about the guy until I started reading the Excalibur comic that featured Rachel Summers as Phoenix, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, and the small dragon known as Lockheed, as well as Meggan, a shapeshifter that was part of the initial team.
There’s no doubt that Cavill would fit in as this character in a big way, but there’s a question to be considered, and that’s whether the team mentioned above would be assembled at some point. Even if they weren’t, Captain Britain does have a long enough history in Marvel comics that could lead to a solo movie that might be the way to introduce him. Another interesting fact about this hero, and this is one that would make him or break him in the MCU, is that his powers stem from a force that is bound to the UK in every known reality.
What this means is that if he travels too far from home without his super suit on, he begins to weaken since his proximity to the source that grants him the power he uses is a vital part of his character. Changing that would be advantageous on one hand, but it would begin the slippery slide toward changing him too much, as has been done with a few other characters in the MCU. His suit does allow him to range further than his homeland, but there’s another caveat about this character, and that’s the fact that his belief in his own abilities can affect his powers as well. If he has any sort of self-doubt he can begin to weaken, which is an odd weakness to have no doubt, but one that would also be up for debate when creating the character. When he’s at his best, Captain Britain is a true powerhouse since he’s strong, durable, intelligent, and quick. When it comes to Excalibur he’s their walking tank since he can withstand a tremendous amount of damage and dish it out just as easily. But if he starts to doubt himself he becomes a huge liability, and when it comes to telepaths, messing with the mind is their specialty at times.
The idea of Cavill jumping the line and working for Marvel isn’t a big deal really since there are a few people that have done this and fans haven’t really cared. The act has been committed so many times at this point that fans only care about how effective each role is, the idea of who the actor works for isn’t an issue. It would be interesting to see Cavill come to the MCU for a movie however since there’s a rumor that he might be headed back to the role of Superman for a sequel to Man of Steel. But if he was given the chance to star as captain Britain it’s interesting to think that he might make his mark in both camps finally and be seen as someone that can cross the line back and forth and make it work in a way that not everyone has been able to do. Depending on the story and his part in it, Captain Britain could become another hero that the MCU might embrace, but it does feel a though it might take a tremendous effort to make this happen.
The reason for this is that the MCU is now banking on heroes that a lot of people don’t know that well. While the comic book fans might know just about everyone and can honestly say that they’re anticipating the next hero or villain to be revealed, a lot of average moviegoers have no idea and are likely going to be less receptive to characters that they don’t know unless the story is impressive enough. So really, seeing Cavill come to the MCU would be interesting, but he definitely needs a lot of help when it comes to portraying a character that requires a bit of research.
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