James Gunn and Peter Safran have announced an embarrassment of riches coming to the first slate of DCU movies and shows since their takeover, which is a change from DC just being well…embarrassing. There’s been a particularly awkward period of time since the release of Dwayne Johnson’s passion project Black Adam, which appeared to reintroduce Henry Cavill’s Superman. Johnson and Cavill both made announcements via social media, seeming to confirm Cavill’s return to the cape….and then had to very quickly rescind them.
In a new huge article and interview in The Hollywood Reporter, which launched ‘Chapter 1’ of the upcoming DC slate, Gunn has clarified the situation regarding Cavill. “We didn’t fire Henry. Henry was never cast,” said Gunn. “For me, it’s about who do I want to cast as Superman and who do the filmmakers we have want to cast. And for me, for this story, it isn’t Henry.”
He added: “I like Henry, I think he’s a great guy. I think he’s getting dicked around by a lot of people, including the former regime at this company. But this Superman is not Henry [Cavill], for a number of reasons.”
When Gunn says “this Superman,” he is referring to Superman: Legacy, which Gunn is writing and may direct, although no commitments have been made. Superman is the true kick off for the Safran and Gunn’s DCU plans.
“It’s not an origin story,” Safran said. “It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks that kindness as old-fashioned.” A release date of July 11, 2025 has been penciled in.
As regards DC’s other flagship character – Batman – a new actor will be cast for The Brave and the Bold, which will feature Bruce Wayne’s son Damian. The Batman Part II starring Robert Pattinson will be released in October 2025. Matt Reeves’ Batman films, Joker (starring Joaquin Phoenix) and the upcoming Black Superman project all fall under something called DC Elseworlds, which exists outside the DCU.
While we wait for more news on all of these exciting projects, check out our guide to the best Batman actors and the best Batman villains.