Henry Cavill out as Superman, putting DC's extended universe into question
He last appeared in 2017's 'Justice League'
He last appeared in 2017's 'Justice League'
He last appeared in 2017's 'Justice League'
Update, September 12: Following the news regarding Cavill's exit, Warner Bros. Pictures broke its silence and released an official statement to The Hollywood Reporter:
"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," read the statement from a Warner Bros. spokesperson.
Original, September 12: Henry Cavill is parting ways with Warner Bros. and DC, where he's played the iconic comic book hero Superman in three movies since 2013's "Man of Steel," .
Warners had been trying to enlist Cavill, who most recently co-starred in 'Mission: Impossible — Fallout,' for a 'Superman' cameo in 'Shazam!,' which stars Zachary Levi and will bow April 5. But contract talks between Cavill's WME reps and Warners broke down, and the door is now closing on other potential Superman appearances. That's because the studio has shifted its focus to a 'Supergirl' movie, which will be an origin story featuring a teen superheroine. This effectively removes an actor of Cavill's age from the storyline's equation given that Superman, aka Kal-El, would be an infant, according to DC lore.
Cavill has played Superman in three films: "Man of Steel," "Batman V Superman," and "Justice League." According to reports, Warner Bros. and DC will not make another standalone Superman movie for a number of years.
"Superman is like James Bond, and after a certain run you have to look at new actors," a source told THR.
This puts the entire DC extended universe into question, as Ben Affleck isn't expected to reprise his role of Batman in future films. Affleck and Cavill most recently appeared in 2017's "Justice League."
However, "Justice League" co-star Gal Gadot is indeed returning for "Wonder Woman 1984," which is currently filming, along with Jason Momoa, who stars in "Aquaman" in December. Meanwhile, Ezra Miller is still starring in the "Flash" movie, which is due to shoot in early 2019.
With the exception of "Wonder Woman," DC titles have struggled in recent years. Its extended universe films have been slammed by critics and failed to hit box-office projections, while Warner Bros. has been working on a number of side titles unrelated to the greater DCEU. This company could really use a hero right now.