Henry Cavill Dropped as Superman After James Gunn Signs Onto DC Comics
Henry Cavill first took on the role of Superman in the 2013 flick Man of Steel. In 2016, he reprised the role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and again the following year in Justice League. Cavill also appeared briefly in the 2022 offering, Black Adam, seemingly ending speculation about the future of the Superman franchise. Things change rapidly in comic-based cinematic universes, though. Cavill is officially out as Superman now that James Gunn and Peter Safran are in control of DC Studios, at least for now.
James Gunn will take Superman in a new direction
James Gunn has officially signed on to develop a new Superman movie. Following his hiring as co-chairman and co-CEO, Gunn and Peter Safran sat down to chat with Henry Cavill. The co-chairs have decided to take DC Studios in a new direction, and Cavill no longer fits the role.
On Dec. 14, Gunn took to Twitter to announce DC Studios’ plans moving forward. Gunn said that the slate of films the studio will produce is exciting, but they will retool the Superman franchise. The director and studio executive revealed that the upcoming Superman flick, which he’ll be writing, will take fans back to an earlier point in Superman’s story. Because of the change in the timeframe, Cavill is no longer the right fit for the role. Gunn said that while Cavill won’t be playing Superman moving forward, fans might see more from him in the DC universe eventually.
Henry Cavill responded to his departure via social media
Cavill is moving on to different things now that he won’t return as the Man of Steel. He took to Instagram to address the news hours after it broke. In a post on Instagram, Cavill stated that after meeting with Gunn and Safran, he wouldn’t be reprising his role after all. He said he respected the decision and noted that Gunn and Safran have a plan to build out their own universe. Cavill wished them well in that journey before reminding fans that while he won’t be returning as Superman, the superhero who means so much to so many people will still be around.
The last few months have brought many changes for Cavill, and his career continues to move along at warp speed. In August 2022, Cavill announced he would not return for season 4 of The Witcher. The role was handed off to Liam Hemsworth, and fans blamed Cavill’s commitment to the Superman franchise for his departure. He announced he would return as Superman in October before recanting the statement after he met with Gunn and Safran.
Cavill won’t be returning to The Witcher now that he has free time, though. He is planning an all-new adventure instead. Hours after the Superman recasting news broke, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Cavill had penned a deal with Amazon to take on a role in a Warhammer 40,000 project. Very little is known about the project, but Cavill is set to star in the franchise and serve as an executive producer. The source material will be the tabletop game of the same name. In the tabletop game, players use dice to battle opponents using miniature figures. The game, similar to Dungeons and Dragons, includes aliens and other futuristic creatures. Cavill is reportedly a fan of the game.
Fans weigh in on what part Henry Cavill should take on next
Henry Cavill’s departure from future Superman projects surprised fans, but it didn’t take them long to start mapping out the famed actor’s future career moves. Actor and director Stephen Ford suggested Cavill could be the next James Bond on Twitter. Fans were quick to chime in.
While several agreed that Cavill would make an excellent Bond, others think he might be better off in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One user pointed out that the MCU needs a new Wolverine. Although the actor is a good fit for both roles, Warhammer 40,000 will keep Cavill busy for the foreseeable future. He’s also attached to several other projects.
