In a surprising turn, news broke this morning that Henry Cavill would be leaving his role as DC Comics’ flagship superhero Superman after negotiations to reportedly return in a small appearance in next year’s Shazam! broke down. While Cavill’s manager has since disputed this via a semi-cryptic tweet, the reaction to Cavill potentially leaving the character gives us some clarity with which to look back as his history as one of DC’s flagship heroes.

Over the past five years, Cavill has starred three times as the character, first debuting in 2013’s Man of Steel before returning as Clark Kent in 2016’s superhero showdown Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The actor’s potentially final turn as the Man of Tomorrow was last year’s Justice League, which saw the superhero resurrected in the final act and triumphantly save the day.

While critical response for each of the films has been mixed at best, Cavill’s performances have consistently been the unsung redeeming grace of each movie, with the actor embodying the earnest enthusiasm of the character even in the face of the dark, somber tone of the DC Extended Universe. In short, Cavill has been a defiantly beaming ray of hope cutting through the grim, gritty world in which the movies took place just like the Last Son of Krypton himself.

Focusing on the origin of Superman in the DCEU’s inaugural film, Man of Steel had Cavill portray the fledgling superhero as he came to terms with his Kryptonian heritage, all as it collides with the entire planet in the form of a murderously zealous General Zod. Taking on the role of Earth’s defender, the film was a bombastic, CGI-heavy epic, with critics and many fans put off by the muted colors, sluggish pacing and wanton destruction. But the movie genuinely soars when the cacophony dies down and focuses on Cavill’s titular crusader, especially in the quieter, more character-driven moments.

First seen as a drifter living on the fringes, Cavill perfectly captures the anguish of Clark Kent as an outsider, a child of two worlds yet fully belonging to neither, and unable to completely fit in to his adoptive society. We believe it when Clark finally finds his true calling as Superman, his purposeful walk into the sun wearing the iconic costume for the first time, seemingly drawing power from his home itself before taking off in flight, one of the rare instances of unbridled joy in the entire film. The newly christened superhero always seems aware that he may be interpreted as a threat, disarming the military sent to question him with his instinctual sense of small town politeness and never talking down to those around him; Cavill’s performance was an understated blend of charisma and duty, coming off as natural as breathing.

Cutting through the CGI chaos in the final act, Cavill’s destruction of the Kryptonian World-Builder in the Indian Ocean has a surprising resonance, as Superman channels everything he has to save Earth in a desperate final charge, even if it potentially means the end of his own life. Yes, Zod’s infamous death at the hands of Superman divided audiences in terms of its necessity and questioning the very moral code of the character, but Cavill makes the sheer emotional toll of the decision believable with a heartbreaking cry, collapsing into Lois Lane after crossing the line has cost him his very soul.

2016’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is a bit more problematic, as the entire film is centered around building a credible rationale for the eponymous superheroes to duke it out while establishing Ben Affleck’s Batman into the DCEU and introducing the disparate elements of the future Justice League. As such, Cavill’s Superman doesn’t have a lot to do, and when he does, it’s usually in tortured service of furthering the grudge between Bruce Wayne and the Man of Steel in a film paced and toned like a funeral instead of a comic book crossover.

Cavill’s best moments in the crossover are in those rare scenes where he is allowed to shine as a beacon of hope, such as saving Lois from Lex Luthor with graceful ease when she is sent plummeting from the top of a skyscraper. And as heavily derided as the scene is when Superman begs Batman to save his mother, the fault is not on Cavill; we truly believe that for all the convoluted setup that the entire contrived battle really is just so Clark can save his loved ones, as he pleads with a victorious Dark Knight.

From its opening frame to closing moments, Justice League offers the best glimpse at the Superman we’ve been waiting for for years. Lackluster visual effects to edit out his facial hair aside, Cavill’s performance as Kat-El in last year’s ensemble film was his best ever. The actor shines, from taking the time to speak with children in the prologue without talking down to them, to a heartfelt reunion with his mother back in Smallville in the most joyfully emotional moment in the entire DCEU to date. The film’s final act is ultimately saved by Cavill’s Superman, both in-story and in terms of film quality overall. Superman effortlessly confronting Steppenwolf, teaming up with Cyborg and the Flash, and dismissing any notions of an ongoing grudge with Batman immediately are what the character is all about. While the true final scene of Cavill’s Superman is the character’s transcontinental race with Barry Allen, the shot that should be remembered is the one closing out the main film: Clark Kent learning there’s a job for Superman, leading to the character’s iconic shirt rip.

Across three films over the course of five years, Henry Cavill had to contend with questionable material and the lingering specter of Christopher Reeve’s classic performance. And while the films themselves never quite lived up to the source material for a variety of reasons, none of those reasons were Cavill himself. A consummate professional that managed to pull off the tricky feat of being dutifully virtuous while never coming off as self-righteous or shallow, his Superman was the most under-appreciated superhero performance on his entire generation. In a cinematic universe that perhaps strove too diligently for gritty realism and CGI-driven action, he was the one in the mix that could make you believe a man could fly.