Henry Cavill has been known for playing Superman in the DCEU since the first installment of the controversial franchise in 2013. Debuting as the superhero in Man of Steel, Cavill went on to appear as the Kryptonian in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and Black Adam.
After a cameo in Black Adam, Cavill was set to reprise the role full-time with a straight sequel Man of Steel 2. However, in late 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery decided to put James Gunn and Peter Safran in charge of DC Studios, who decided that the franchise would be rebooted. Cavill had to exit the role and Man of Steel 2 would remain unmade.
Henry Cavill Was All Set To Star In Man of Steel 2
Henry Cavill’s tenure as Superman was not smooth sailing in the least due to studio mismanagement and changed plans for the DC franchise. The actor had been cast as Clark Kent a.k.a Superman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, which would kickstart a new shared universe with the DC characters.
However, the film was the last solo Superman film for Henry Cavill, who only appeared in team-up films such as Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice or the Justice League films. His last appearance as Superman was the cameo in the post-credits scene of Black Adam. In fact, Dwayne Johnson reportedly pushed for Cavill’s Superman to be a part of the film.
In an interview with Jake’s Takes, Johnson revealed that he listened to the fans and was pushing for Superman’s inclusion in his long-awaited film,
“As I was pushing Black Adam up this hill to get made for the past five, six, seven years, I was also listening to the fans at the same time… we will create Black Adam for him to be the most powerful and unstoppable force on this planet. The most powerful and unstoppable force in the entire universe has been on the sidelines for too long.”
After the cameo finally got fans excited about Henry Cavill’s return, the actor announced that he would finally be donning the cape and suit once again. According to The Hollywood Reporter, WB wanted to be on the traction with a Man of Steel sequel set to be written by Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight.
The sequel was reportedly set ten years after the first film and would feature the popular comic book villain Brainiac as the antagonist of the film. The article also mentioned that Cavill’s sequel was commissioned after gaining a new fanbase due to his appearance in the Netflix series The Witcher.
Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel Sequel Was Swiftly Canceled By James Gunn
Though Henry Cavill’s return and the eventual face-off between his character and Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam was an exciting direction, Black Adam’s disastrous run at the box office seemed to have put the DCEU to rest. WB chose James Gunn and Peter Safran to head the new DC Studios, who decided to revamp the project.
In late 2022, Henry Cavill revealed that he talked with James Gunn and Peter Safran, who had decided that his take on the role was no longer in their plans. Cavill stated in an Instagram post that he would not be returning as Superman in the upcoming films. He said,
“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.”
James Gunn and Peter Safran then went on to announce a new and improved DC Universe, which would begin with Superman: Legacy. The film would be directed by James Gunn, who cast David Corenswet as Superman. Henry Cavill’s tenure as the legendary superhero had finally ended and the Man of Steel sequel was forever cursed to never see the light.
