Remember that big Henry Cavill Superman comeback we were all ready for? The one teased at the end of Black Adam and then confirmed by Cavill himself? Well, it’s not happening. Instead, a new Superman film will focus on a younger version of the character, which James Gunn himself is writing.
Cavill revealed on Instagram that he just met with DC Films’ bosses Gunn and Peter Safran, who told him he’s not part of their plans. Here’s the full statement.
“Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year,” Gunn tweeted soon after Cavill’s post. “Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill. But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.”
Gunn then revealed that he’s writing the new Superman movie, but they have not yet decided on a director. However, despite it being focused on a younger Superman, it will not be an origin story.
The news comes days after a bombshell report by the Hollywood Reporter about not just the cancellation of Wonder Woman 3 (which Patty Jenkins later confirmed) but a hint that Gunn and Safran’s plan did not include bringing Cavill back as Superman. And while Gunn himself said some of the news in that story was not true this part, obviously, is.
Next we all connect the dots. If Cavill’s Superman is out, and a new Superman is in, that almost certainly means Black Adam is out, right? But what about Flash and Aquaman? Isn’t Cavill in Flash? Ladies and gentleman, may all these future films be as exciting as what happens behind the scenes at DC Films.
This article has been updated since it was first published.