Why is Henry Cavill not returning as Superman?

Henry Cavill is not returning as Superman. Take a moment to take that in, because I’m still reeling.

This news broke out on Wednesday night after Cavill posted on his Instagram that he had just met with the co-CEOs of DC Studios, James Gunn and Peter Safran. Apparently, the studio is going in a different direction with Superman, and it doesn’t involve Henry Cavill.

There are a couple of ways to process this that may bring long-time DC fans some solace. But I’ll get to that in a bit: first let’s recap how we got here.

Henry Cavill is no longer playing Superman in the DCEU

On October 24, a very excited and enthusiastic Cavill posted a video on his Instagram saying he would be returning to the big screen as Superman. Many, including myself, were over the moon with this news, especially following his cameo in Black Adam. Between Cavill’s return and Gunn taking over as co-CEO of DC Studios, for a moment all seemed well with the DCEU.

The announcement of Cavill’s return came around the same time that we learned he would be leaving the role of Geralt of Rivia on Netflix’s The Witcher. We don’t know if he left The Witcher in order to devote more time to Superman, but the timing suggested it. We also heard that Cavill wanted to leave The Witcher because he was dissatisfied with how with showrunners were adapting the source material, so maybe the timing of the Superman announcement was just a serendipitous coincidence.

Whatever happened, the stage was set for Cavill to return as Superman and for Liam Hemsworth to take Cavill’s place as Geralt of Rivia (still not sure about this, to be honest). But now, things have changed.

In his heartfelt Instagram post, Cavill shared this gut-wrenching statement:

"After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.For those who have been by my side through the years…..we can mourn for a bit, but then we must remember….Superman is still around. Everything he stands for still exists, and the examples he sets for us are still there! My turn to wear the cape has passed, but what Superman stands for never will. It’s been a fun ride with you all, onwards and upwards."

There is no update on who will be playing Superman instead, but Gunn did post a statement on Twitter explaining why it wasn’t Cavill:

"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. 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."

Gunn has been writing this new movie for quite some time. It will not be an origin story, which I’m relieved to hear.

Why Henry Cavill’s exit may not be the worst thing for the DCEU

Okay, so I promised you peace and solace about this situation, so here it is. I’m just as unhappy about Cavill getting booted out as the next person, but I think long-term, this is a good thing for DC Studios. For years we have been begging Warner Bros. to fix the atrocious state of the DC movies and complaining that they’ve entirely ruined their classic world of superheroes.

So, they finally decided to do something right and hire James Gunn to “fix” their mess. And in all fairness, Gunn is doing just that alongside Safran. We may not like the discomfort of letting go of Cavill or Wonder Woman, but if this is part of a grand plan that may eventually fix the DC Studios, I’m here for it.

Don’t get me wrong, I am gutted about Cavill, but I think that we need to give Gunn and Safran a chance and understand that there are grander plans. And because Gunn has never creatively led us wrong with his directing and writing, I’m going to go ahead and trust that he knows what he is doing.

As for Cavill, he will be missed as the Man of Steel, but perhaps in the distant future, there will be an opportunity for him to return. Until then, please keep your eyes and ears peeled for what he’s going to do next. Will he return to The Witcher, or will he do something else entirely?

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