When Henry Cavill showed up as Superman to confront Dwayne Johnson’s titular anti-hero in Black Adam’s mid-credits scene, theaters went ballistic. Many fans took this as confirmation of Cavill’s sure DC return. In the days following the release of the film, there were rumors of Man of Steel 2 being in development. Also, Cavill confirmed through an Instagram post that he was returning as Superman. But all of that didn’t happen.
Both Cavill and Johnson are not part of the DC universe anymore. James Gunn is now in charge of charting a new direction for the franchise and it looks like he is seemingly going for a soft reboot with a new Superman. However, there’s still a way for Johnson to return in the future, something that doesn’t seem possible for Cavill anymore.
Dwayne Johnson’s Possible Return As Black Adam
Dwayne Johnson announced his exit from the DC franchise through a Twitter post where he stated that the character of Black Adam won’t be a part of James Gunn’s first chapter. But he expressed that his company, Seven Bucks will work with James Gunn to figure out better ways to utilize the character. The Rock said:
“James Gunn and I connected, and Black Adam will not be in their first chapter of storytelling. However, DC and Seven Bucks have agreed to continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized in future DC multiverse chapters.”
Check out the Twitter post here:
Black Adam⚡️ pic.twitter.com/b7ZbCJZxBw
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 20, 2022
Johnson further stated that there are no hard feelings between him and Gunn. He also wished DC a successful future. As per The Rock:
“James and I have known each other for years and have always rooted for each other to succeed. It’s no different now, and I will always root for DC (and Marvel) to win and WIN BIG.”
James Gunn replied to the post by saying, “Love The Rock & I’m always excited to see what he & Seven Bucks do next. Can’t wait to collaborate soon.” The Unlimited Cinema YouTube channel summed everything up by saying:
“On the bright side DC and Seven Bucks did agree to find the best way to utilise the character (Black Adam) in future chapters so at least he still gets to be part of the universe but the future isn’t as bright for Cavill, times seem to be tough for the star.”
As of now, there aren’t any officially announced plans for Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam return. However, if his company Seven Bucks is indeed in contact and involved with DC Studios and Gunn, we may see the character in Chapter 2 of the DCU or maybe in a project under the Elseworlds label. But any such speculation isn’t true for Henry Cavill.
Is Henry Cavill’s DCU Return Impossible?
Dwayne Johnson brought back Henry Cavill with the intention of carving out a cinematic franchise within DC with Black Adam and Superman. It would have been possible too if James Gunn and Peter Safran hadn’t taken over the reins of DC Studios As the Unlimited Cinema YouTube channel stated:
“If the DC bosses hadn’t been replaced right after Black Adam opened in theaters it (Black Adam and Superman film) might have happened. Unfortunately, though that’s not how things went.”
Things have changed completely now. Gunn is all set to cast a new Superman in the upcoming Superman: Legacy film. As such, that actor will presumably be DCU’s main Superman. So there’s no need for Cavill anymore. Fans of Cavill’s Superman are hoping that one day the actor will turn up in a film under DC Studios’ Elseworlds banner. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen.
Superman: Legacy will release on 11 July 2025, while Black Adam is streaming on HBO Max.
