In another news, James Gunn and Henry Cavill announced on social media Wednesday that the actor will not be reprising his role as Superman in the next project about the superhero.
"Peter [Safran] & 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," Gunn, the new co-chief of DC Studios, shared on Twitter.
"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. Cavill took to his own Instagram on Wednesday to share that he recently had a meeting with Gunn and Safran where it was decided he will not reprise his role as Superman.
"It's sad news everyone," Cavill penned. "I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. After being told by the studio to announce my return in October, prior to their hire, this news isn't the easiest, but that's life."
Cavill noted that "James and Peter have a universe to build" and wished the "new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes."
He thanked his fans for their unwavering support over the years and noted that Superman is not going anywhere and what the character stands for is still true.
"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," Cavill signed off his statement.
Cavill first put on Superman's cape in 2013 for the film "Man of Steel." He reprised his role in 2016's "Batman v. Superman" as well as 2017's "Justice League."
In October, Cavill also revealed that he will no longer star in Netflix's "The Witcher."
The British actor captioned his post, "My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4."
Australian actor Liam Hemsworth has been tapped to replace him in season 4 of the show. At the time, Cavill, 39, had just revealed that he would be returning to the DC Comics universe to reprise his role of Superman.
She continued, "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. DC is obviously buried in changes they are having to make, so I understand these decisions are difficult right now."“I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it’s sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman,” Cavill, 39, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, December 14. “After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life.”
Cavill starred in several DCU films as the superhero over the past few years but has been absent in the role since 2017’s Justice League. Last month he made a surprise cameo as Clark Kent in Black Adam and confirmed that he would officially be back in the tights.
On Wednesday, however, the Witcher alum revealed that Gunn, 56, and Safran, 57, who are co-CEOs of DC Studios as of October, have a new “universe to build” and therefore will no longer be moving ahead with their initial plans for the man of steel.
“The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. … I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes,” Cavill said in his statement on Wednesday.
The Enola Holmes star concluded his goodbye message by asking fans who are in “mourning” to remember that “Superman is still around” despite his time with the character coming to a close.“Everything he stands for still exists, and the examples he sets for us are still there! 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,” he wrote.
The Guardians of the Galaxy director, for his part, later took to social media to confirm the news.
“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,” he tweeted on Wednesday. “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. 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.”
The news of Cavill’s exit from the DCU comes just two months after he announced he would not return to his role as Gerald of River for the fourth installment of The Witcher and that Netflix had recast the role with Liam Hemsworth.
The England native endorsed the Hunger Games star’s takeover in his exit announcement. “My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4,” Cavill explained in a statement at the time. “In my stead, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.
Aside from Gunn serving as the writer of the film, no other pieces of news on the project are currently known. While this likely isn't great news for fans of Cavill's Superman, this only further solidifies the new direction for DC moving forward. News has trickled out here and there, primarily concerning the cancellation of Wonder Woman 3, with this just being the latest in what will likely be a long line of announcements.
Gunn also confirmed that the slate he has developed with DC Studios co-chair Peter Safran will be announced shortly. There have been teases here and there at what the two have discussed, namely a photo of the character Mister Terrific and a piece of art from the infamous Kingdom Come storyline. The director's start with DC began with last year's The Suicide Squad, which led to the critically successful Peacemaker series earlier this year on HBO Max.
There is some precedent to be excited about here for Gunn's take on the Superman character. Brightburn, a 2019 film centered on a Superman-like character moving in an evil direction, was produced by the director. Elizabeth Banks and David Denman starred in that film, opposite Jackson A. Dunn as the titular character. While Brightburn only collected $32.8 million worldwide, some critics praised its subversion of the superhero genre. At the very least, a unique take on such a beloved and iconic character shows a great deal of understanding for that piece of IP.
Cavill's non-involvement with this project has to come as a shock to fans, who recently saw the star return opposite Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam. As tantalizing as his return may have been, Gunn certainly has something exciting waiting in the wings. Fans have been clamoring to see the return of arguably the most iconic superhero. Based on this news, it can only be expected that Clark Kent/Superman will be a cornerstone of this new direction for DC Studios.
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