Henry Cavill is set to lead the pack in Matthew Vaughn’s ensemble spy thriller Argylle, releasing on February 2nd. Interestingly, Cavill shares a weird connection with his director Vaughn, which many fans don’t know about. Before Zack Snyder successfully pitched a Superman movie with Cavill donning the suit, Vaughn conceptualized an idea for a trilogy movie for the Man of Steel alongside Mark Millar.
Vaughn’s treatment was turned down by Warner Bros. who eventually picked up Snyder’s script. The Kick-Ass director was once again attached to the Kryptonian superhero when he was rumored to direct the sequel to Man of Steel in 2017.
Matthew Vaughn’s Superman Was Very Different From Henry Cavill’s Version
Matthew Vaughn and his friend & famous comic book writer Mark Millar developed a story for Superman, largely inspired by Richard Donner‘s classic Superman film of 1978. Vaughn shared this Superman story to the Happy Sad Confused podcast, revealing that the duo plotted out a trilogy for the character. They pitched it to Warner Bros. who weren’t interested in their treatment. Vaughn shared with host Josh Horowitz:
“Mark and I sat down and plotted out a three film trilogy, pitched it to Warner Bros. before Man of Steel. We pitched how to do a trilogy of Superman movies, and Warner said they weren’t interested. That’s as far as it went.“
Unlike Henry Cavill‘s Kal-El in Zack Snyder‘s Man of Steel, Vaughn’s version of Superman grows up on Krypton. Jor-El’s prediction happens much later in this narrative when Kal-El has already become an adult. Vaughn and Millar’s story began with the exodus of Krypton. The X-Men: First Class director called it a modern version of Donner’s story. He shared:
“I would have done a modern version of Donner. Our big idea was that Krypton doesn’t blow up. It does eventually. The dad was right, but he got his timing wrong. When Superman is grown up suddenly there’s a mass exodus, and all hell breaks loose. That was our main idea.”
In an interview with Empire, Mark Millar further expanded on the story idea that was also inspired by The Godfather films. The eight-hour-long three-part film would have started in Krypton and explored the life and adventures of Superman until he’s the last being left on Earth. Millar shared:
“I want to start on Krypton, a thousand years ago, and end with Superman alone on Planet Earth, the last being left on the planet, as the yellow sun turns red and starts to supernova, and he loses his powers.”
Millar later revealed to The Aspiring Kryptonian that Vaughn wanted his Stardust actor to play the lead role. While Henry Cavill also appeared in Vaughn’s 2007 film, the director was referring to Charlie Cox, who played Daredevil in the MCU.
Before Argylle, Matthew Vaughn Was In Talks To Direct Henry Cavill’s Man Of Steel 2
While Vaughn couldn’t realize his dream of a Superman trilogy, the director is reportedly planning an Argylle trilogy with Henry Cavill. Before Vaughn became engaged in this spy thriller, he was the frontrunner to direct the Man of Steel sequel after Zack Snyder stepped down from DCEU. Collider first reported the news and the director later confirmed to Hey U Guys that he was in talks with Warner Bros.
In 2019, Vaughn revealed to Polygon that the film was officially no longer happening. Vaughn is possibly directing one of the DCU projects under James Gunn‘s new regime. In the Happy Sad Confused podcast, he revealed, “DC have reached out. Gunn and Peter [Safran], we’ve been talking and they’re great.”
The King’s Man director was also content with Gunn’s version of the Kryptonian, stating, “James … he reinvents Superman.” Fans speculate that Vaughn will direct The Authority, which explores the superhero team with a questionable moral compass. A few members of the Authority will make an appearance in Gunn’s Superman: Legacy.
Argylle features an ensemble cast, including Bryce Dallas Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, Bryan Cranston, Sam Rockwell, John Cena, and Dua Lipa. The film had its premiere at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London on January 24, 2024. It will be theatrically released on February 2, 2024, and will start streaming on AppleTV+ at a later date.
