It looks like some major shake-ups are occurring within the DCEU. With Ben Affleck looking certain to no longer be playing Batman, Henry Cavill is now reportedly no longer Superman, per THR.
It was reported last week that Cavill had joined the Netflix fantasy series The Witcher. At the time it was wondered by fans how he could handle a major series and also be Superman, but it seems that Cavill may have signed on to the show with full knowledge that his days in a cape were numbered.
It seems the outing may have come down to contract negotiations. Cavill was in talks to shoot a cameo in the upcoming Shazam!, but negotiations broke down, and Warner Bros. has now reportedly turned their attention to Supergirl, which would effectively sideline Superman, at least for now.
With Matt Reeves looking for a younger Batman for his upcoming standalone film, and now the Cavill news, it seems that Warner Bros. and the DCEU are looking for a fresh start after their early attempts to rival Marvel failed pretty spectacularly among most fans. Even so, Warner Bros. released a statement after the initial THR report:
“While no decisions have been made regarding any upcoming Superman films, we’ve always had great respect for and a great relationship with Henry Cavill, and that remains unchanged”.
Cavill has been a pretty excellent Superman despite the problems with every film he’s appeared in, and he’s shown his talent in other projects too, such as a great supporting role in Mission: Impossible – Fallout just this year.
Fans were hoping that he’d get a chance to star in a Man Of Steel sequel that would reach its potential, but with the DCEU focusing on other projects right now, another Superman film is reportedly years away and a source says that the studio is looking to hit the “reset” button on parts of the DCEU that didn’t work.
It’s possible that this is just one of those public negotiating spats and things eventually get worked out, but it has seemed for months that Warner Bros. has been trying to rework the DCEU into something new since right now it feels a bit tainted, and this decision would fall in line with that.
We’ll wait for confirmation either way, but if true it’s a shame for Cavill. Thought I’m sure the fantasy casting has already begun.
#Peace.Love.Superman
