Henry Cavill was the focal point of the previous installations in the DC Extended Universe. Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013) started the universe of the justice league in the cinematic universe.
After that, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) moved forward the story of Henry Cavill’s Superman and introduced actors like Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot in the roles of Batman and Wonder Woman, respectively.
One might say that the cinematic universe of DC disappointed the viewers because of its overall presentation. However, Henry Cavill stood out in every DCEU movie with his character Superman.
As often stated in interviews, Henry Cavill loves the Symbol of Hope – Superman and has been itching to be on the big screen to portray his favorite childhood superhero. However, the newly installed DC executive board has other plans.
James Gunn and Peter Safran are the new Co-Heads of Warner Brothers – Discovery DC Comics cinematic universe (Films & TV Shows) since November 1, 2022. They replaced Walter Hamada, who previously assumed the role of Head of the DC Cinematic Universe. Along with a surprising announcement about Wonder Woman earlier, Henry Cavill and James both have confirmed that he will not return as Superman.
Also Read: Why Is Henry Cavill Leaving The Witcher? Reason Behind His Exit
Henry Cavill says, “My turn to wear the cape has passed, but what Superman stands for never will.”
The speculations of a revamped DCEU were in the air for more than a year. The losses and disappointments shared by the franchise made a serious problem for the brand of Justice League in cinema.
To satisfy the infuriated fans, they finally released The Justice League: Snyder Cut on HBO Max, but the stain still remained. The production house had no satisfying plan to recover from the messy storyline and plot of the DCEU.
Zack Snyder’s ideal plot was not accepted by the Warner Bros. board of directors, and it only added more fuel to the fire. Therefore, Warner Brothers – Discovery DC Comics initiated a new plan about rebooting the whole universe and bringing fresh creative heads into the fray, namely, James Gunn and Peter Safran.
After the success of The Suicide Squad (2021), James Gunn has been an important figure in the cinematic universe. However, the problems regarding the casting of everlasting superhero characters like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman still remained.
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.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 15, 2022
The problem is finally fishing out as James Gunn, and Peter Safran met Henry Cavill, and the actor announced on Instagram that he wouldn’t be returning as Superman. However, he may return to other roles in the DC Extended Universe.
A bitter news for all the fans as Henry Cavill was seen putting on the cape after a long hiatus in the Black Adam (2022) and announced that he would return to play the role of Clark Kent. The agreement indeed took place between the franchise and Henry Cavill, but James Gunn and Peter Safran have a completely different direction in their plans that doesn’t include everyone’s favorite Man of Steel.
Henry Cavill has loved the character of Superman since his childhood. One might say that he is the perfect person to have graced the role of this generation. Dwayne “The Rock “Johnson reportedly wanted Henry Cavill to return, and he made it happen, but as it stands now, Dwayne Johnson’s future is in the wind as well. You can see what Henry Cavill had to say about the disappointing news to the fans below.
Henry Cavill announces he is no longer returning as Superman pic.twitter.com/yQ0lH9PFpE
— ScreenTime (@screentime) December 15, 2022
Also Read: Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League: Release Date & About The DC Game
What is next in the DCEU?
As things stand, Henry Cavill is gone for now. Along with him, news came out that James Gunn and Peter Safran canceled the franchise of the ongoing Wonder Woman under Patty Jenkins. Ben Affleck’s Batman seems to be done as well. The future of Shazam, Flash, and Black Adam are still uncertain.
This affects the timeline of the next movie releases of the DCEU. Stand-alone movies of Flash, Shazam, and Aquaman were to be released in 2023 and 2024, and the future of Jason Momoa as Aquaman looks uncertain as well.
James Gunn has confirmed that Matt Reeves’ The Batman will stay separate. Robert Pattinson would not be a part of the DCEU, as reports suggest. Matt Reeves will comprise his own separate universe of The Batman in a more dark detective noir environment which is completely different from what James Gunn has in mind for his DC Extended Universe.
As it seems, there will be recasting in every department of the universe, and we can certainly hope the fans recover from the bitter news of Henry Cavill’s departure. A brilliant actor who inspired a million people to fall in love with the man of steel, we hope James Gunn fills up the heartache of the million with joy.
