David Corenswet's Superman vs. Henry Cavill's Superman: The Playground Fight the Internet Can’t Let Go
The Superman discourse has officially hit the playground sandbox stage. With James Gunn’s Superman now in theaters, fans have taken their ongoing DCU vs. DCEU rivalry to a new (and slightly absurd) level… Who would win in a fight—David Corenswet’s fresh-faced Superman, or Henry Cavill’s battle-worn Man of Steel?
Yes, the hypothetical showdown nobody asked for is dominating social media, complete with cherry-picked feats, emotional meltdowns, and wildly subjective power scaling. (Warning: spoilers for Superman ahead.)
This all kicked off when X user @FromSelinaKyle declared, “Cavill’s Superman would wipe the floor with Corenswet’s Superman,” and the internet predictably exploded.
Fans quickly took sides. Corenswet defenders pointed to key moments in Superman to argue his raw power:
“He escaped a black hole while half health and holding 3 individuals with his super breath, this feat alone solos Cavill's Superman.”
Not to be outdone, a Snyder fan responded with a sharp clapback:
“Cavill's Superman literally did that. He escaped the Phantom Zone, which is stated to be a Black hole that pulls things into a completely different plane of existence.”
It didn’t stop there. Round two had fans throwing Ben Affleck’s Batman into the ring. If Batfleck could take on Cavill’s Supes, could he beat Corenswet’s?
“If Batman almost took out Cavill, David and Mr Terrific will mop the floor with him.”
To which a Snyder loyalist replied:
“Affleck Batman can beat David Superman in hand-to-hand combat.”
Then came the power level nitpicking. Cavill fans pointed out that Gunn’s Superman literally opens with the hero losing a fight.
“This Superman is pretty weak in comparison.”
But context matters, he’s three years into his Superman career and fighting a highly strategic villain in Lex Luthor. If anything, it speaks to his growth potential.
Still, amid all the digital chest-thumping, one voice cut through the noise with a rare drop of wisdom:
“Sure, he could beat him in a fight, but he wouldn’t do that. They’re both the good guys. They’d respect each other like you guys should for them both… Cavill’s Supes is still the good guy and would have 0 reason to fight HIMSELF.”
A much-needed reminder that Superman isn’t about winning fights, it’s about doing the right thing, even when the fans on the internet refuse to.
Even James Gunn and Zack Snyder seem to get the humor in it all. The two directors recently popped up in an episode of Rick and Morty, playing exaggerated versions of themselves locked in a ridiculous battle over whose Superman reigns supreme.