It is a sad day at DC Studios. Yesterday we got some good news: James Gunn and Peter Safran are almost ready to reveal their slate for DC Studios. But, unfortunately, we also got some terrible news, Henry Cavill will no longer be playing Superman in the DCU. The report has plenty of the internet devastated as celebrities, managers, artists, and fans flock to the comments section of Cavill’s posts to assure him that he is well-loved and that the future is bright for him.
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Henry Cavill Will Not Be Returning As Superman In The DCU
James Gunn announced on the 15th of December via Twitter that they have finalized their new master plan for DC Studios’ future. He and co-president Peter Safran will reveal more details in the new year, and it is a complete 10-year plan for the end of the DC Universe.
“Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over the moon about. We’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year.” – James Gunn (@JamesGunn) Dec 15, 2022.
While he said they couldn’t share too much, he could transfer the plan for one of the movies since it was pertinent to the future of Henry Cavill at DC Studios. The film is to be a portrayal of Superman in his early days as a reporter at the Daily Planet.
“Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will focus on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill.” – James Gunn (@JamesGunn) Dec 15, 2022.
As you can see, Henry Cavill will be forced to drop his role as Superman so a younger Superman can take his place in the DCU. Gunn has said that Superman is one of his biggest priorities for DC Studios and has shared that while he is writing the script for the film, he will not be directing it himself.
For a while now, there have been reports that Cavill’s future as Superman wasn’t as secure as he was led to believe. To be fair, at the time of his announcement, there were plans for a Man of Steel sequel, including more appearances, such as his appearance in Black Adam. However, these plans have clearly changed since Gunn and Safran were hired.
The pair are putting an end to the Snyderverse as we know it. As it is, Wonder Woman 3 will not be moving forwards. It has been confirmed that Patty Jenkins, the director of Wonder Woman, will not be included in the DC Studios’ plans. It was implied that she had even killed or walked away from the project. She later denied these implications via a statement on Twitter.
Henry Cavill Confirms and Gives More Detail
If Gunn’s words weren’t enough devastation for fans, Henry Cavill himself took to Instagram, confirming that he will not be returning to the role of Superman in this era. This was also posted on December 15th, 2022.
Cavill started by saying that he had had a meeting with the new co-heads of DC Studios, James Gunn and Peter Safran, and the news he had to share with everyone was sad. “I will, after all, not be returning as Superman.” The information is particularly devastating as Warner Bros. recently told him it was safe to announce his return in October of 2022. This was before Gunn and Safran took their positions as co-CEOs of DC Studios.
Cavill, ever the gentleman, explained that while the news wasn’t easy to hear or share with his fans, it is, unfortunately, part of life. “The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that.” He explained why he also respects it because Gunn and Safran are responsible for building an entirely new DC Universe. Of course, the ever-polite Henry Cavill had nothing but well wishes for all involved, wishing all those involved in the new DCU, and their new Superman, the best of luck and the happiest of fortunes.
Cavill went on to thank all those who have been by his side throughout the last decade that he has spent playing arguably one of the most iconic renditions of the last son of Krypton.
He offered his fans time to mourn the loss of his role but reminded them that Superman is an ideal that will live on past any actor.
“My turn to wear the cape has passed, but what Superman stands for never will. It’s been a fun ride with you all, onwards and upwards.”
We shouldn’t lose all hope, however. Gunn mentioned that after their meeting, they are looking at ways to move forward and possibly have Cavill return as a different character other than Superman. “But we just had a great meeting with Henry, and we’re big fans, and we talked about several possibilities to work together in the future.” – James Gunn (@JamesGunn) Dec 15, 2022. So even if it isn’t the Superman we know and love, we may see him in a DC project.
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Plenty of Love for Cavill
There has been a lot of love shared for Henry Cavill, with multiple celebrities, artists, and fans commenting on his post, sharing how devastated they are to hear it. However, many comments wished him well in his future and the bright path ahead.
BossLogic, an artist who did some fantastic fanart for Black Adam, replied to Cavill’s Instagram post saying, “Well, this is a damn shame. So sorry to hear this, man…Don’t know what to say.” He later created a beautiful image of Cavill as Superman walking away from his cape left in a garbage can under some graffiti overheard saying ‘hope’. He was walking off in resignation alongside his super-pup, who looked like Cavill’s furry best friend, Kal. BossLogic captioned, “Going to miss you, Henry Cavill,” with a black heart emoji. “Wishing you all the best on whatever path you choose.”
Many of his fellow actors replied to his post, sharing their love for Cavill. One of those actors was Aquaman‘s Jason Momoa, who starred alongside Cavill in the Justice League movies. Replying to Cavill’s post, Momoa commented with four red heart emojis and the words “love u, brother.” Short and sweet. Fellow The Witcher actor Paul Bullion commented, “Sorry, Henry. I try to think that what is meant for you will not pass you by. Keep on keeping on.”
Hiram Garcia, the head of Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Production company and Dany Garcia’s brother, commented, “You will always be the Superman of our generation, brother. Always.” Along with her brother, Dany Garcia, Johnson’s former wife, business partner and manager to Cavill himself, commented, “You are and will always be our Superman, and you are, of course, so much more. So here’s to the brilliance that lies before you.”
Cavill’s girlfriend, Natalie Viscuso, also left a short comment on the post, with a blue heart emoji and, “Always the gentleman…”. Lee Bermejo, the comic book artist who was behind the design of one of the most loved Superman figurines shared, “Saddened by this. You embodied the character on and off the screen. Very much looking forward to everything you do and am excited to see the other characters you’ll bring to life in the future. Hugs.”
Zachary Levi, who stars as Shazam, commented on Cavill’s post, saying, “Hope to catch you in another universe, sir.” Kumail Nanjiani, known for his role in Marvel’s Eternals, shared, “I’m sorry to hear this, but I’m excited to see whatever you do next. Lovely meeting you the other night.”
Tony Daniel, a prolific comic book artist, commented, “You were an amazing Superman. I can’t wait to see what you do in the coming years.” MidTown Comics, a popular comic book shop in Manhattan, commented, “We’re very sorry to hear it, Henry. You’re our Superman!”
Many fan reactions were commented on Cavill’s Instagram post, ranging from just the emoji of a broken heart to people saying that Cavill will always be their favourite Superman and even making suggestions of where they think his talent would be better suited. Some joked that he should return to The Witcher, a previous statement which had the internet in an uproar when he decided to leave. In contrast, others supported the rumours that Cavill should turn to Marvel Studios instead of waiting for DC Studios to make up their minds.
Of course, he could leave both DC Studios and Marvel Studios in the dust and move on to new franchises and opportunities like Amazon Prime Vidoe’s rumoured Mass Effect series or a rumoured involvement in James Cameron’s Avatar 4. Whatever the future holds for Henry Cavill, all of his fans will be waiting to welcome him back into the cinema world with open arms.
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