James Gunn has described the decision to replace Henry Cavill in the DCU as "terrible" and “unfortunate.” The new DC Studios co-head revealed the internal confusion and miscommunication that led to Cavill’s brief, now-canceled return as Superman, and why he still hopes to cast him in the future.
James Gunn has opened up about the difficult conversation he had with Henry Cavill after it was confirmed that the actor would no longer be playing Superman in the DC Universe.
In a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Gunn described the situation as "terrible" and "a total bummer," admitting that Cavill was placed in an unfair position due to internal miscommunication within the studio.
“The day our DC deal closed, all of a sudden, they were announcing that Henry was back,” Gunn explained. “And I’m like, ‘What is going on? We know what the plan is. The plan was to come in and do Superman.’ So it was really unfair to him.”
According to Gunn, the confusion stemmed from a leadership vacuum at Warner Bros. and conflicting visions for DC's future.
While a segment of the studio seemed to push for Cavill’s return, which was evidenced by his cameo in 2022’s Black Adam, Gunn was already working on a script for a new Superman movie centered on a younger version of the character.
“It was never part of the equation for us,” Gunn said, referring to the version of Superman Cavill had portrayed since Man of Steel in 2013. “There was a vacuum, and a lot of people had their own takes on what they wanted to do at DC, and they were trying to force their way.”
Despite the awkward situation, Gunn and his co-chair at DC Studios, Peter Safran, decided the right thing to do was to speak with Cavill directly. “He was an absolute gentleman, a great guy about it,” Gunn said. “He said, ‘The only thing I ask is that I’m able to reveal it myself as opposed to it coming from you guys.’”
Gunn honored that request, and in December 2022, Cavill posted on Instagram: “I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. 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.”
Cavill’s run as Superman included Man of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman (2016), and Justice League (2017, including Zack Snyder’s 2021 cut). His departure marks the beginning of a new chapter for the DCU, with David Corenswet now taking on the role in Gunn’s Superman film, which released July 11.
Still, Gunn hasn’t ruled out working with Cavill again. “I would love to put Henry in something,” he said. “Absolutely not” was his response when asked if casting Cavill in another DCU role would be confusing.
Gunn’s rebooted Superman film also stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, with Anthony Carrigan, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced rounding out the cast.
The DCU is officially underway, but the legacy of Cavill’s Superman, and the grace with which he exited, still resonates.
Image Credit: WarnerBros Discovery
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