Henry Cavill Says Superman is a Complete Amateur Against Batman

Henry Cavill who plays Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly on his character in the film and the struggle he’ll have to face with humanity and with Batman, with how they look at Superman either in a positive way that’s overwhelming or a negative way that and having to answer to the destruction that took place during Man of Steel.

Kryptonite has become a synonym in the English language for a weak spot, an Achilles heel, but beyond that these movies have taken the fact that Superman can’t save everyone and made that a weakness. I think that’s a very human weakness to have.
For me, when it came on to Superman’s weakness, it’s inside him. It’s the fact that he does really love humans. He loves what they bring to the world, he loves this planet and who he lives alongside, and he wants to really, really help them. We could go deep into the psychology of what that means and what that makes ones intentions on a daily basis when you’re a super-powered alien.

Not only is he bulletproof, but he can withstand a lot of cruel treatment from us.
Essentially it’s that. That’s his weakness, that he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. He doesn’t want to scare anyone, and in that you can take advantage of him. It makes it very easy to take advantage of him. … This is someone who is a complete amateur, and he’s facing up against someone who is very well versed in the arts of war.

On the destruction in Man of Steel and it playing a role in Batman v Superman:

After the destruction we saw in Man of Steel, is Superman suffering from a kind of survivor’s guilt, since he saved the world, but destroyed a city?
I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a survivor’s guilt. I mean, that’s a different kind of thing because he’s above the threat. I think the most difficult thing for him at this stage of the story is that he has just come to terms with the fact that he is really, really quite powerful and he hasn’t found any major vulnerabilities yet, and despite this, despite the enormous power that he has, he still cannot do everything, and he really struggles with that. It’s not just a quick, “Okay, I get it. I can’t save everyone.” That takes a long time to work out.

There were complaints from some fans that it was out-of-character for Superman to allow the Man of Steel fight to cause such destruction and loss of life. In Batman v Superman, that anger is part of the story – it’s why Bruce Wayne hates Superman. Did it surprise you that they incorporated that?
I think that may have been part of the master plan all along. When it comes to the major story stuff I can’t really speak on that, because that was above my paygrade. What I can speak of is the idea of Superman, especially when the finger is pointed at collateral damage in the first movie. I mean, we’re talking about a greenhorn.

To read the full interview head over to EW.com.