There are no guarantees in life.
D.C. had only just told Henry Cavill that he could announce his return as the DC Comics hero Superman with his surprise appearance in Black Adam. That came to an abrupt halt yesterday when new DC President James Gunn and Peter Safran announced that Cavill’s time as Superman had ended and he would not be playing the character going forward. Cavill showed tremendous grace in releasing a statement thanking DC for the opportunity of a lifetime and that he will be the character’s biggest supporter going forward. Fans from across the spectrum thanked him for his time and dedication to character, and also for being a class act in his departure.
I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it’s sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. 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. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.
For those who have been by my side through the years… we can mourn for a bit but then we must remember… Superman is still around. Everything he stands for still exists, and the examples he sets for us are still there! My turn to wear the cape has passed, but what Superman stands for never will. It’s been a fun ride with you all, onwards and upwards.
It’s clear to everyone that Cavill was greatly disappointed by not returning to the character. During the lean years for DC, Cavill was one of the most notable names pressing for the company to do more, and to do more with their primary superheroes. Superman has been given about a fifth of the time and resources that Batman has been given and Superman is the most popular character in the franchise. It would be like Marvel sitting on Spider-Man for several years. It made no sense and Cavill knew fans wanted more, so he used his voice to support their cause.
While Gunn and Safran said they discussed different projects with Cavill, one would think that he might need some time and space to figure out if he wants to accept a lesser role in DC or if he just wants to take some time off. There’s also the undiscussed third option where he was replaced by Liam Hemsworth on the Netflix hit series The Witcher due to his commitment to Superman, but whether or not he’s going to return to that role has yet to be announced. It certainly would be an unfortunate turn of events for the lesser-known Hemsworth, as the role is arguably the biggest of his career. But I circle back to the start of this article and remind you once again: there are no guarantees in life.
Whatever happens with this going forward, it’s clear that DC Comics has a plan at the box office for the first time in a long time. Gunn and Safran are tired of DC not utilizing the core of its assets and plan to kickstart a universe that aims to exist alongside Marvel, rather than try to compete with it step for step. At this point, I am not even sure it would be possible for DC to catch up to Marvel. Not only did Marvel get there first, exhausting audience desire for comic properties, but they have a 15-year lead in terms of story-setting and world-building.
While Superman fans might be upset in the short term, this will just be a footnote in history if Gunn is able to do what he aims to do with their box office slate. Nobody will remember that Cavill was replaced if the next actor steps in and does a tremendous job of making the character their own. The best example I can give here is Andrew Garfield and Spider-Man. Everyone was upset that he was replaced by Tom Holland and then they saw Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming and the rest was history.