DC Studios chief James Gunn has revealed further details regarding what appeared to be a sudden hiring-and-firing of Man of Steel star Henry Cavill. The actor, who has played the role of Superman throughout the DC cinematic universe since 2013 and was brought back with much applause for a post credits scene at the end of Black Adam, was seemingly asked to suit up once again before being thrown to one side in favor of a reboot. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter however, Gunn has clarified the situation, explaining that Cavill was never fired, because he was never hired in the first place.
“We didn’t fire Henry. Henry was never cast. For me, it’s about who do I want to cast as Superman and who do the filmmakers we have want to cast. And for me, for this story, it isn’t Henry.”
Henry Cavill's Superman emerging from the fog at the end of Black Adam was clearly one of the highlights of the middling DC outing, with the actor confirming that he was back as Superman soon after. Sadly, only a few weeks after making the announcement, the news broke that Superman will be rebooted by newly appointed DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, with insiders even claiming that Cavill had been a “pawn” in Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson’s determination to make himself the center of the franchise.
While he won’t be playing Superman, Gunn had nothing but good things to say about Cavill, and sympathized with the actor for how he was treated by the DC franchise prior to him taking over.
“I like Henry, I think he’s a great guy. I think he’s getting d---ed around by a lot of people, including the former regime at this company. But this Superman is not Henry [Cavill], for a number of reasons.”
Here's hoping that things will work out better for whoever is chosen to lead Gunn and Safran’s Superman reboot.
The Superman Reboot Will Introduce a Younger Version of the Man of Steel
When James Gunn refers to “this” Superman we now know that he is referring to the rebooted version of the character due to make his debut in Superman: Legacy. While Gunn has kept any casting choices close to his chest for now, several details regarding this latest iteration of the Man of Steel have now been unveiled alongside the rest of the slate for Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters.
“It’s not an origin story,” Peter Safran revealed. “It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks that kindness as old-fashioned.”
With Henry Cavill now approaching 40, it stands to reason that he cannot continue to wear the cape as a much younger version of the iconic character. Still, while Gunn certainly sounds sympathetic to Cavill and how his tenure as Superman ended so unceremoniously, fans of the actor are unlikely to appeased by any of this. For now, at least.
Superman: Legacy is now scheduled for release on July, 11, 2025.