Warner Bros kicked off the DC Extended Universe in 2013 with Man of Steel, with Henry Cavill inheriting the Superman role from Brandon Routh. Cavill returned to play the Kryptonian superhero in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, but since then it’s unclear if he’d don the cape again. Now word’s come in that plans are in motion to make it happen.
According to Deadline, Henry Cavill is in talks with Warner Bros to play Superman again, although it wouldn’t be in Man of Steel 2. Instead, the article simply says that the actor could “come back in a couple of different ways.”
For those who need a refresher, Superman was resurrected in Justice League by Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash and Cyborg using a combination of Kryptonian and Apokoliptan technology. After his head cleared, Supes joined the other superheroes in defeating Steppenwolf, and with the world saved, he then returned to both his civilian life and resumed protecting humanity. Superman also cameoed at the end of Shazam!, but it was Zachary Levi’s stunt double, Ryan Hadley, who played him, with the the character being seen from the neck down.
With the announcement of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, a.k.a. The Snyder Cut, hitting HBO Max next year, fans of Henry Cavill’s Superman were guaranteed at least one more appearance from him, as we’d get to see him in a different light compared to how he was depicted in Justice League’s theatrical cut. Still, for a long time we’d been in the dark about what was next for Superman, and it was even reported in September 2018 that Cavill would no longer play him, a claim to which Warner Bros issued a cagey response.
Although Man of Steel 2 has been in the works for years and Henry Cavill has expressed interest in the project, judging by this latest update, it doesn’t look like a sequel adventure for this version of Superman is in the cards anymore. So then what precisely does Warner Bros and DC have in mind for the character going forward?
To me, it sounds like Superman is being positioned in a similar way as The Hulk is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, i.e. he’s a superhero who pops up in other characters’ movies, but we won’t lead his own adventure again. It’s possible that could change down the line and Warner Bros will decide to develop Man of Steel 2 again, but for now, at least we know that there’s an effort to bring back Cavill’s Superman, even if he’s at center stage again.
As for which movies Henry Cavill’s Superman could appear in, we can rule out Wonder Woman 1984 and The Suicide Squad, as the former is completed and the latter has already finished principal photography. We can also cross The Batman off the list since not only is that in the middle of filming, but it’s set in a separate continuity from the one this version of Superman lives in.
Still, that leaves plenty of options, such as Black Adam, The Flash, Aquaman 2 and Shazam! 2. At one point it was also reported that Warner Bros had a Supergirl movie in the works, but supposedly the studio has put that project on hold in favor of bringing Superman back to the big screen.
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on what’s next for Henry Cavill’s Superman. In the meantime, you can learn more about what the DCEU has coming up with our DC movies guide.
