Henry Cavill Will No Longer Play Superman: ‘I Wish All Involved With The New Universe The Best’
By Movieguide® Contributor
DC is making some major changes to their superhero universe — Henry Cavill will no longer be playing Superman.
Cavill played the superhero in 2013’s MAN OF STEEL, 2016’s BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, and 2017’s JUSTICE LEAGUE.
The actor announced he would no longer be Superman in a statement posted to Instagram.
“I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it’s sad news, everyone,” Cavill wrote, referring to the co-chairpersons of DC Studios.
“I will, after all, not be returning as Superman,” he continued. “After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life.”
His post concluded, “The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.”
Gunn and Safran also released a statement, emphasizing their love for the DC Comics characters and their “commitment to the wonder of human possibility these characters represent.”
This isn’t the only shocking upset at DC. Movieguide® previously reported on the future of Wonder Woman:
The future of fan-favorite DC comic book adaptations remains uncertain after DC Studios canceled the WONDER WOMAN 1984 sequel as new studio chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran shift the strategy for upcoming DC movies.
Variety reports, “after [WONDER WOMAN 1984 director Patty] Jenkins submitted a treatment for a third WONDER WOMAN, she was informed by studio leadership that it did not mesh with Gunn and Safran’s emerging plans for the DC Universe, and the studio would not make the project.”
WONDER WOMAN was nominated for Movieguide®’s 2018 Best Movie for Mature Audiences award, and WONDER WOMAN 1984 was nominated for the same award in 2021.
Movieguide®’s reviews highlight both movies’ celebration of “sacrificial love” and “truth.”
While the WONDER WOMAN sequel has been canceled, the futures of other DC movies are also unknown. The Hollywood Reporter claims that the MAN OF STEEL sequel teased by star Henry Cavill in October could also be cut.
In 2013, Movieguide® nominated MAN OF STEEL for their Best Movie for Mature Audiences award, and the review touts the movie’s “very strong Christian, redemptive and moral worldview.”
Currently, only Gunn and Safran know the future of the DC Universe, and they plan to unveil their new strategy for the studio to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav this week.
Variety adds that the meeting between Gunn, Safran and Zaslav “has the potential to mark a critical inflection point for the company, with the very real possibility that the cinematic universe created by filmmaker Zack Snyder would reach a definitive end following the premiere of AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM in December 2023.”
