Here’s a bit of news that’s surprising, yet also something we should have seen coming. According to Deadline (and also The Hollywood Reporter) Henry Cavill is no longer Superman. This is the latest in an ongoing, rather weird shake-up to Warner Bros. run DC Comics slate of movies. Let’s dig into this a little.
It turns out Warner Bros. was trying to get Cavill to appear in a cameo for the upcoming Shazam film. Somewhere along the lines both contract talks falling apart and scheduling conflicts (supposedly due to some Mission: Impossible – Fallout shooting) lead to the door closing on the actor’s return to the big blue boy scout.
At the same time, Warner is effectively putting it’s focus on a Supergirl film, ensuring some red-caped superhero has a presence in their DC Cinematic Universe. That film will likely focus on the teenage origin of the character. Though what state the DCCU may be in by then seems fuzzy. The last year or so has seen lots of shifting pieces behind the scenes, putting most plans up in the air. If not jettisoned altogether.
Reports drop almost every other month concerning whether or not Ben Affleck would be returning as Batman. The Flash movie has had its own series of fits and starts. Aquaman still comes out the end of this year, but there’s no indication of what that franchise’s future is. Then, of course, there’s Todd Phillips Joker film. That one at least was said long ago to be separate from everything else that had come out so far.
The only property that looks to be free and clear of any potential setbacks, is Wonder Woman. After garnering both critical acclaim and success at the box office, there’s little reason to think there isn’t a bright bright future for Gal Gadot’s character. All signs point to next year’s sequel Wonder Woman 1984 being more of the same. Something no one will tell you is a bad thing. You can count us here among those very excited for that film.
There’s also a rumor that a Superman film in the future could go an entirely different direction, featuring an actor not entirely foreign to the superhero arena. Supposedly, Warner is contemplating snagging Michael B. Jordan to don the tights. Now, there’s concrete proof of this, but it is nonetheless very exciting and a huge boon for them.
This news also makes a lot of sense, given Henry Cavill’s recent announcement to headline Netflix’s The Witcher series. The actor likely wouldn’t have been able to juggle the filming schedules of both. Not to mention possible facial hair logistics. Never forget #MustacheGate will now and forever be a part of movie trivia.
Cavill’s tenure as Superman, as short as it was, will be interesting to revisit years from now. Controversial decisions may have been made concerning the character, but none of that could be placed at the actor’s feel. He cut an imposing and genial figure in the trademark red and blue. Somewhere down the line, he was sure turn into possibly the best the big screen had seen yet. Now we’ll just never know.
You can be sure there’ll be a whole bunch more to come out concerning this move and what things mean for the rest of DC’s future line-up. What do you think? Is this a smart move by Warner Bros? Were you a fan of Cavill’s take on Superman? Do you think DC is better off just making standalone films, than attempting to match Marvel Studios template? Let us know in the comments below.
Ed. – Almost directly before publishing this piece, more news came to light. WB issued the following statement, concerning previously mentioned articles:
“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.”
