Now that The Witcher and DCU’s Superman are a no-go for Henry Cavill, it has renewed calls from fans for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to swipe him up. There are several characters that Cavill could play, but the name that keeps coming up most frequently is Hyperion. Besides Sentry, Hyperion is one character most often described as Marvel’s version of Superman. Hyperion and Superman share quite similar powers, weaknesses, and origin stories, and both serve on superhero teams. As a result, a rumor arose that Cavill would appear in season 2 of Loki as Hyperion.
Cavill seemingly debunked the rumors in October of 2022. However, a lot has changed since then, with him announcing afterward that he was stepping down as Superman upon James Gunn and Peter Safran being made co-CEOs of DC. And so, the rumor resurged once more, with fans calling for Marvel to restore a superhero role to Cavill. Meanwhile, there could be another entry point for Hyperion in the MCU with Thunderbolts. Rumors arose that Thunderbolts is seeking someone to play a character described as an “evil Superman.”
While some believed the “evil Superman” to be a reference to Sentry, it could easily be a reference to Hyperion instead. Hyperion was both an Avenger and a major antagonist at different points in Marvel comics. As a result, rumor has spread that Hyperion is the villain in Thunderbolts. Whether he is the villain in Loki or Thunderbolts or portrayed by Henry Cavill, he is an enormously powerful character who could shake things up in the MCU. Here’s everything to know about Hyperion in case he does show up in the MCU.
Who is Hyperion in Marvel Comics?
Now, who Hyperion is in Marvel Comics is a tricky question to answer. After all, three major iterations of Hyperion have appeared over the decades in Marvel Comics. There was Hyperion Earth-13034, Hyperion Earth-616, and Hyperion-712. Generally, Hyperion-712 is considered the main iteration of Hyperion. Hyperion-616 was found to be a fraud artificially created by the Grandmaster, and Hyperion-712 was a new iteration of Hyperion introduced in the 2010s that was strikingly similar to the original Hyperion.
For this article, we’ll focus on Hyperion-712. Hyperion’s Superman similarities began with his origin story. He was the last of an otherworldly race known as Eternals (who you may remember from the MCU film Eternals, they are dedicated to assisting the god-like Celestials), who was sent to Earth as a baby and raised by humans who instilled in him a strong moral compass. He was named Mark Milton (Marcus in some iterations) and grew up to become a cartoonist. However, as an adult, he decided to embrace his superhuman powers that came from his Eternal physiology and began his superhero career.
His most notable venture as a superhero was becoming the leader of the superhero team Squadron Supreme. While technically a superhero team, the Squadron Supreme has a pretty controversial history in the comics. At times, they were very heroic and teamed up with the Avengers on multiple occasions. However, they got ahead of themselves when they launched the Utopia Program and took control of nearly every aspect of Earth because they believed these extreme lengths were the only hope for the planet. Hyperion eventually relinquished his power over Earth and became a hero once more. However, the Squadron Supreme blurred the lines between hero and villain more than once, either by coming under corrupt leadership or due to extreme principles.
Hyperion and the Squadron Supreme explained
Most iterations of Hyperion and the Squadron Supreme follow the same formula. They start quite heroic but eventually become disillusioned extremists who cause more harm than good. Also, in all iterations, Hyperion is a force to be reckoned with. As an Eternal, he boasts superhuman speed, strength, durability, and flight. He also has heat vision and regenerative and energy manipulation powers. Needless to say, if either Hyperion or the Squadron Supreme is the villain(s) in Loki or Thunderbolts, the heroes might be in trouble.
Hyperion is a true Superman-gone-rogue scenario, and he could prove to be quite intriguing in the MCU.
(Featured image: Marvel Comics)
