James Gunn and Peter Safran are hoping you enjoyed that Superman cameo in Black Adam, because that's the end of the line for Henry Cavill as Superman. Back in October, before Gunn and Safran had been hired to steer the ship at DC Studios, Cavill excitedly announced to his fans that he was returning as Superman, hopeful to appear in more movies as the Man of Steel for some time to come. His appearance in Black Adam was meant to tease further movies with Cavill and has fans feeling hopeful about Man of Steel 2 finally happening.
But just as quickly as Cavill slipped back into the tights, his return to the role of Superman is now over. Both Gunn and Cavill have made this official by announcing this news on social media following a meeting that apparently made this fact clear. Cavill posted a statement to his Instagram account expressing his sadness over the news, though he still seems to feel grateful for the "fun ride" he's had with the character.
"I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it's sad news, everyone," Cavill says in the post. "I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. 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. 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 added, "For those who have been by my side through the years..... we can mourn for a bit, but then we must remember.... Superman is still around. 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."
James Gunn Has Other Plans for Superman
Meanwhile, James Gunn has also spoken out about the situation with his own post on Twitter. He also refers to the meeting he had with Cavill, noting that they may still work together on something else in the future. Gunn also clarifies that the plan is to reboot Superman again for the DCU with a younger version of the character played by someone other than Cavill.
"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," Gunn said. "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."
In a follow-up tweet, Gunn confirms that he's also writing the screenplay himself, but that it's not yet clear who will be directing. He also says it's not going to be an origin story, even though it follows a younger Superman. Now that Gunn and Safran know what they want to do with the Man of Steel, perhaps more updates will be soon forthcoming.