Was it James Gunn’s choice to kick Henry Cavill out? A new report reveals the studio wanted to recast Superman long before next month’s reboot entered production.
Henry Cavill’s tenure as Superman may have been the most messy in all of comic book history. A combination of studio politics and poor critical reception led to the actor being put on the backburner for a decade. And right when there was some hope for Cavill to return with the end of Black Adam, it was announced that James Gunn would reboot the DC Universe, with the role being recast from Cavill to David Corenswet.
Many people lay the blame for Henry Cavill not making his return as Superman at the feet of James Gunn. After all, it was his idea to reboot the franchise, and he was the one helming the new film. However, things may not be that simple, as a new report from Entertainment Weekly reveals that Warner Bros. Discovery had plans to recast the Man of Steel before Gunn even finished his first DC Universe film with The Suicide Squad.
“Warner Bros. initially offered Gunn Superman prior to directing 2021’s The Suicide Squad, back in the previous era of DC storytelling. Even then, before plans were firmly in place, the studio wanted a new actor to play Superman after Cavill.”
Why Did Henry Cavill Appear In Black Adam?
This report may confuse some people, as shortly before James Gunn took the reigns of the DC Universe reboot, Henry Cavill made his final appearance as Superman in Black Adam, with The Rock himself stating that he had plans to make a new Superman film with the hero prior to the character being recast. How could all of this be true at once?
While the full story of Henry Cavill’s cameo in Black Adam still isn’t public, it seems as though the issue stemmed from the structure of Warner Bros. at the time. While DC Films president Walter Hamada reportedly didn’t want the post-credits scene due to plans to recast the character, it was approved by Warner Bros. Pictures CEO’s Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, leading to the surge of confusion prior to James Gunn’s DC Universe reboot.
Superman is currently scheduled to hit theaters on July 11, 2025. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
