Henry Cavill is reportedly done as Warner Bros.' Superman
It's not Kryptonite that will end Henry Cavill's run as Warner Bros.' grimdark Superman; it's a studio pivot.
Cavill is reportedly finished as the Man of Steel, with unnamed studio insiders telling The Hollywood Reporter that he won't be donning the signature DC Comics superhero's cape and tights again. It's said to be part of a larger move aimed at fixing WB's flagging DC Extended Universe (DCEU).
The rumored exit apparently started with a much smaller disagreement: The studio wanted Cavill for a cameo in the upcoming Shazam!, out April 5, 2019. But talks between WB and the actor's reps didn't go anywhere.
Beyond that, the studio also understands that bigger changes are needed. To date, the only universally successful DC-pegged release was 2017's Wonder Woman, which landed both with critics and at the box office.
As one insider said, "There's a recognition that some parts of the previous movies didn't work." (LOL at that understatement.) So now, WB is trying to hit "reset" (per another source) on the whole endeavor.
That reset reportedly includes a shift in focus from Superman to Supergirl. That movie would serve as an origin story, starring a teenage hero. Superman may well return to the big screen, but not for an unstated number of years. The studio apparently views him as a James Bond-type, a character that's meant to be inhabited over time by an assortment of actors.
Ben Affleck is also reportedly "a hero on the way out," according to the same THR report. The possibility that the Batman actor wouldn't return to the DCEU has been floated before, and it seems that's more certain now.
This unexpected (admittedly unconfirmed) news creates a tricky situation for WB and its current slate of DC movies. An Aquaman solo movie is coming in December, and then Shazam! and Wonder Woman 1984 are both locked and loaded for 2019 releases. WB also apparently still intends to start work on a solo Flash movie early next year.
You would think Cavill's exit complicates those plans, but how the studio intends to address the larger DC cinematic universe story remains to be seen.
Fans were generally unimpressed with the grimdark take on Superman (and DC as a whole) that series producer, writer, and director Zack Snyder shepherded into existence. That vision originated with Snyder's 2013 origin story, Man of Steel. It's fitting, then, that Cavill's exit also seems to tie into a creative shift for the overall series.
Meanwhile, Cavill is having a great 2018. He's just coming off an electric performance in the summertime smash hit, Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Then, just last week, we learned -- though it's still not technically confirmed -- that he's set to star in a Netflix adaptation of the popular video game and book series, The Witcher.
Topics Film
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
