Henry Cavill is signing off as Superman

Henry Cavill confirms that he will not come back as Superman. His days are over as the Man of Steel. The actor says, “this news isn’t the easiest.” DC Studios’ new co-chairman and Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is creating a new universe.

Henry Cavill has been playing Superman since the 2013 film Man of Steel and had a brief appearance in Black Adam back in 2021. After recently stepping down from The Witcher on Netflix, Cavill announced that he is taking his cape back up again to appear as Superman in another franchise installment.

However, on Wednesday, Cavill took to Instagram the announcement of his sad news. He said in his post that he met with director Gunn and his co-chair, Peter Safran. The two delivered the news to him.

Henry Cavill says he is no longer returning as Superman. pic.twitter.com/sSCryXjafj

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 15, 2022

Cavill posted, “I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, before their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. 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.”

He also added, “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.”

According to reports, Warner Bros has already signed off Cavill as Superman. It happened six days before Gunn and Safran solidified their roles at DC Studios. Cavill expressed his enthusiasm for the role, sharing that he was “very excited” for Gunn and describing playing the superhero as a “joyful” experience.

Henry Cavill's first flight as Superman in MAN OF STEEL is still one of the greatest scenes from any comic book movie everpic.twitter.com/nqIaB6sQok

— Lights, Camera, Barstool (@LightsCameraPod) December 15, 2022

Superman Film

The DC Studios and Warner Brothers merger with Discovery, Inc. has pushed them to cut costs by drastically reducing projects. But an exciting new development has just been announced this week! James Gunn’s upcoming Superman movie will explore the titular superhero’s formative years.

James Gunn is about to take DC’s Superman for a thrilling cinematic ride. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Gunn will focus on the younger Clark Kent in the reported film, exploring his days as a young reporter at the Daily Planet. Sources close to the project speculate that Gunn may direct and write the screenplay.

Gunn posted on Twitter. He confirmed, “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. 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. But we just had a great meeting with Henry, and we’re big fans, and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.”

James Gunn is making his first big move at DC and will pen a #Superman movie. The project will focus on the hero in his younger days, and will star an actor other than Henry Cavill: https://t.co/xu5zBaevem pic.twitter.com/xBBSfxgdVu

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) December 15, 2022

On Tuesday, reports suggested that Patty Jenkins would no longer be directing a third Wonder Woman film for DC Studios. However, the director took to social media the same day to deny she was leaving the franchise.

In an open letter she released on Twitter, she stated, “I never walked away. I was open to considering anything asked of me. It was my understanding there was nothing I could do to move anything forward at this time.”

Moreover, following Henry Cavill’s discussions with James Gunn and Peter Safran, Ben Affleck recently sat down with the pair for a separate meeting. It is clear that the primary focus of their conversation centered on Affleck. He is potentially taking up directing duties for an upcoming DC movie.

These talks further illustrate DC’s efforts to build bridges between its existing franchises and the new projects that Gunn and Safran had discussed.