Actor Henry Cavill has reportedly had his last appearance as the DCEU’s Man of Steel.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news today that Henry Cavill will no longer be playing Superman in Warner Bros. Studios’ DC films. The break allegedly came after the studio tried to recruit Cavill for a Superman cameo in Shazam!, which is due out April 5, 2019. Contract talks broke down due to a scheduling conflict, and Cavill is now out as the Man of Steel.
Cavil isn’t the only person hanging up their superhero cape. It has been rumored for a while that Ben Affleck will be leaving his role as Batman, not returning for the forthcoming Batman solo film directed by Matt Reeves.
“There’s a recognition that some parts of the previous movies didn’t work,” a studio source is quoted as saying. An official statement from a Warner Bros. spokesperson said, “While no decisions have been made regarding any upcoming Superman films, we’ve always had great respect for and a great relationship with Henry Cavill, and that remains unchanged.”
Responses from Cavill and his team have been cryptic. This afternoon Davy Garcia, Cavill’s agent, tweeted out the following: “Be peaceful, the cape is still in his closet. @wbpictures has been and continues to be our partners as they evolve the DC Universe.”
Be peaceful, the cape is still in his closet. @wbpictures has been and continues to be our partners as they evolve the DC Universe. Anticipate a WB statement later today.
— Dany Garcia (@DanyGarciaCo) September 12, 2018
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This evening, Cavill shared a video on his Instagram in which he wears a shirt that reads, “Krypton Lifting Team” and he slowly raises a Superman action figure into frame. It is captioned, “Today was exciting #Superman.”
Cavill played Superman in three films – 2013’s Man of Steel, 2016’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and most recently in 2017’s Justice League. Affleck portrayed Batman in both Batman v. Superman and Justice League. Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, and Ezra Miller are still in place with their roles as Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and the Flash, respectively. The Aquaman solo film will be released this December, the Wonder Woman sequel Wonder Woman 1984 is currently in production, and the Flash is planned to have a solo film begin shooting in 2019.
It seems like Justice League will have been the last time we see a fully-grown Superman for some time. The studio has green-lit a Supergirl movie, telling the origins of Superman’s cousin as a teen. At that time on Krypton, Kal-El would only be an infant. Said a studio source, “Superman is like James Bond, and after a certain run you have to look at new actors.”
What do you think of this decision? Were you a fan of Henry Cavill as Superman or Ben Affleck as Batman?
