Is Henry Cavill returning as Superman? After Dwayne Johnson promised to shake-up the hierarchy or power within the DC movie universe, Henry Cavill made his much-anticipated return as the Man of Steel in a post-credits cameo appearance.
There had been years of speculation as to the status of Henry Cavill’s Superman in the superhero movies, and it seemed unclear whether or not the actor would continue to play the Kryptonian. That’s because no progress has been made on Justice League 2, and a second Superman stand-alone movie seemed dead in the water. There was talk of rebooting Superman entirely, and even recasting the role.
So, it was with glee that Cavill announced in October 2022 that he would in fact be returning to play the character in the future, after ditching his role in The Witcher fantasy series. But, now James Gunn has taken charge of the DCEU and once again the franchise is in chaos. Wonder Woman 3 might not be happening, Jason Momoa might be leaving Aquaman, and Black Adam 2 looks dead in the water. So, has Henry Cavill survived? Is he returning as Superman, after all?
Is Henry Cavill returning as Superman?
After being dropped by the DCEU, then picked up again and announcing his return, Henry Cavill’s future as Superman is now completely clear: he has (again) announced that he will not be returning after all. The reason for the uncertainty is the fact that the DCEU has been subject to competing visions for its future, but now thanks to James Gunn the direction for the franchise’s future has been settled, and it doesn’t involve Henry Cavill.
In a statement issues to social media, Henry Cavill shared the news. He said “I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it’s sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman.” He goes on to explain that he was told by the studio to announce his return, but that was before Gunn had been hired to reshape the franchise.
Cavill also said “The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build.” On Twitter, Gunn corroborated the news, saying “Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill.”
So, that’s it. Henry Cavill’s time as Superman is definitely over, once and for all. Either way, it’s good to have clarity even if the news will disappoint some audiences who enjoyed Cavill as the superhero. It also means that another project that Gunn has scrapped is Man of Steel 2, which had only recently begun a search for a script.
Still, audiences haven’t seen the last of Henry Cavill. He is still in The Witcher season 3, and who knows, perhaps a Henry Cavill Warhammer movie could be his next project.