The DC live-action universe has had a fascinating run in theaters, with rumors constantly swirling about the franchise's future. Because Warner Bros. doesn't release phases of film schedules like the MCU, the future after the next few years is a mystery. There are plenty of projects that have been announced or developed over the years, but there's no telling which will actually come to fruition.
One of these potential movies is the Man of Steel sequel. While Henry Cavill has been rumored to be exiting the DCEU and his role as Superman, fans are eager to see Clark Kent's second solo flick after his appearance in ensemble projects like Justice League. The newest Man of Steel 2 rumor indicated that the project was taking so long to develop because Cavill wanted final say in regards to its director and script.
But now Henry Cavill's reps have responded to this latest viral rumor, calling it "patently inaccurate" and telling Collider there is “no truth to this." Another day, another DC rumor it seems. For now, the fate of both the Man of Steel sequel and Henry Cavill's tenure as Clark Kent/Superman remain a mystery to the general public.
When it arrived back in 2013, Zack Snyder surprised and delighted audiences by bring Man of Steel to theaters, with a decidedly more morose and human approach to the titular hero. In the wake of the film's success and its shocking twist ending, a shared universe was eventually born. From there, Henry Cavill returned as Superman with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, as Snyder pitted the two (murderous?) heroes against each other, thanks to some manipulation by Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor.
After surprising no one by being resurrected in Justice League, it was unclear when exactly Henry Cavill would be reprising his role as Superman again. Justice League was largely considered a flop, as Joss Whedon attempted to finish and alter Zack Snyder's third DC movie after the original director departed due to a family emergency. In response, the plans for the shared universe began to change, as projects were green lit with less focus on serialized storytelling and the iconic members of The League.
While Henry Cavill's reps have shot down rumors of the actor's diva behavior in relation to Man of Steel 2, the response didn't confirm or deny Cavill's future involvement in the DC universe. Warner Bros. has been quiet about the potential sequel, instead focusing on projects like Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, and Shazam! And when a rumor swirled that Cavill was hanging up his cape and tight, he posted a purposefully vague response.
You can't really blame Henry Cavill if he decided to step away from Superman, as he went viral for both Batman v Superman and Justice League-- and not in a good way. He was in the infamous Sad Affleck meme, Cavill and his co-star found out live on camera that Dawn of Justice was a critical flop. And #MustacheGate is the Justice League gift that keeps on giving.
Narratively, there still seems to be a ton of places to take Henry Cavill’s Superman. And considering that the Man of Steel is largely the mascot for DC comics, the shared universe just wouldn’t be the same without the ultra powerful Kryptonian. But with Henry Cavill’s starpower only continuing to grow, it may be harder to get the Mission: Impossible-- Fallout star to make another appearance.
Despite Superman’s appearance in three different DC movies, the character is still rather young in his superheroic career. Man of Steel served as an origin story, but also showed the true destructive power of battling Kryptonians on Earth. And while he ultimately killed Zod in the process, it was clear that killing isn’t something that tickled Clark Kent.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice saw Superman mostly in response to the world around him, including Ben Affleck’s jaded and violent Batman. The Last Son Of Krypton was shown struggling with his newfound fame, as well as the ramifications from his battle with Zod in Man of Steel. Unfortunately, this stopped the character from getting time to develop and change, instead constantly reacting to the film’s other characters.
Justice League kept Superman offscreen until around halfway through the film, where he was resurrected from the dead, and had a serious bone to pick with Batman and the rest of The League. But after being centered by Amy Adams’ Lois Lane, the character mostly functioned as the big gun in the action sequences.
So while Henry Cavill might already have three DC credits, there’s still a ton of story to explore-- if he ever ends up returning for Man of Steel 2. Another solo movie might be exactly what the character deserves, and perhaps what will entice Cavill to take up the cape and costume again.
While there are currently no plans for Man of Steel’s sequel, it does appear that Warner Bros. is keeping the property in mind. When it was revealed that Guardians of the Galaxy visionary James Gunn is going to write and possibly direct Suicide Squad’s sequel, another bit of information also hit the web: Gunn was offered the chance to do Man of Steel 2. While neither Gunn nor Warner Bros. has spoken about these talks, the studio’s willingness to bring back Superman’s franchise seems hopeful for his chance of a future appearance.
But for now, Man of Steel’s follow-up doesn’t seem to be the top priority for the DC Universe. Warner Bros. is currently surfing on the massive success of James Wan’s Aquaman, which is the shared universe’s second critical hit after Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman. There are a few very exciting projects being worked on, which will help expand the universe in new ways.
Next up is Shazam!, which will focus on kids living in a superheroic world. Todd Phillips’ Joker will give the villain an origin story disconnected to the shared universe, while Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman 1984 will give DC’s women the chance to shine.
CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things DC and Man of Steel, as details become public. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
