The DC Extended Universe, unfortunately, remains largely perplexing and disjointed, but hopefully, that will change with Black Adam. While the response to several films, such as Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and The Suicide Squad, has been extremely positive, the franchise still lacks cohesiveness overall and is thus plagued with generally mixed reviews.
One of the biggest issues with how the DCEU has unfolded is the usage of one of the greatest characters in all history, Superman. Man of Steel kicked off the DCEU in 2013, yet, nearly a decade later, it seems that Henry Cavill might not be returning as Superman – much to his and fans’ chagrin. Nevertheless, some fans have devised some theories and plans on Reddit for how Superman, and specifically Cavill as Superman, could be reworked into the DCEU going forward.
Might As Well Recast
At this point, there are no announced projects in the DCEU that are including Superman, but hopes are still high. Cavill was dealt a difficult hand in that he was killed off in his second film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and then Justice League was surrounded by controversy. He did get to show more of himself in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, but that was the end of Snyder’s involvement in the franchise – and maybe Cavill’s subsequently too.
Some fans, therefore, suggest the unfortunate nuclear option: recasting. u/BorderDispute writes, “If Henry Cavill's Superman is erased, then that will allow a new Superman to be cast.” This could come into play in so many ways, whether is just a new actor playing the same exact character or it’s a reboot of some kind. Several actors have grabbed fans’ attention as options like Jaime Dornan, Ben Barnes, or Matt Bomer to name a few.
The Flash Might Reformat The Timeline
While Black Adam might be the next film on the docket, The Flash is being theorized as being the most consequential film in the coming years as it could completely reset everything. Fans believe this since it's partly based on the Flashpoint arc in which Barry Allen raced back in time to save his mother, but in doing so he altered reality. However, the trailer suggests it might be more multiversal than time-travel oriented, with the return of Michael Keaton’s Batman and different Flashes.
The issue with a full reboot in The Flash is that it would also erase all the great moments and films that have come thus fan – unless it defines those as already being part of the post The Flash DCEU timeline. Specifically, u/Brilliant_Bother_870 theorizes that “The Flash movie happens after the events of Justice League and he creates a separate timeline where BVS and ZSJL didn't happen” This would, therefore, really only affect Cavill’s Superman and Afflecks’ Batman, and could allow for Cavill to havwhoe another shot at the iconic character soon.
A Merged Universe
Whether The Flash will fully reboot the franchise or reset the timeline or not, many fans believe it could at least reorganize the universe. Sasha Calle is set to appear as Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl, who is also Superman’s cousin; with a Supergirl film also in the works – this has led to rumors that she is replacing Cavill in the kind of role Superman filled in the DCEU. Some fans believe, though that Cavill could also show up in The Flash, and that he’s just acting like Andrew Garfield did before Spider-Man: No Way Home.
u/uxlongboarder theorizes “that the franchise is taking place in a Merged Universe” like the multiverse in the MCU and that The Flash will actually showcase at least two separate realities. This could allow Cavill’s Superman to continue on in one while the main continuity is in another, before eventually bringing them all back together again.
Shazam!
While The Flash might make some sense out of the nonsense surrounding why Superman has been ill-used throughout the DCEU, many fans just hope some executives or directors just decided to plop him into an upcoming movie. The best cases currently would be Black Adam or Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s character is the archenemy of Shazam, but he’s also contended often with Superman – and the film appears to be framing him as similar in power to Superman – so it’s possible
However, many believe it would be nothing more than a cameo, rather than a large role. u/LordFlameBoy suggests “we can have Cavill cameo/appear in other projects like Shazam! and Black Adam.” This would make it like the character’s cameo at the end of Shazam!, in a way to keep Superman alive in fans’ thoughts as other stories are explored.
Fighting Black Adam
The hope for Cavill to appear in Black Adam is high, but anything more than a cameo seems unlikely. Black Adam, himself, is more of a villainous character so bringing in Superman in that antagonistic role to fight in Black Adam, while interesting, wouldn’t feel on-brand for the DCEU. Besides, Marwan Kenzari’s role is still secret, but it's theorized to be the film’s main villain, Sabbac – seemingly confirmed by merchandise for the film.
u/Dangerous-Hawk16 posits “I feel like when Black Adam finally clashes with Shazam, it’ll involve Superman in the film.” This would likely mean Superman could come back into play farther down the line in Shazam! 3 when the two enemies are most likely to fight against each other. Hopefully, fans wouldn’t have to wait that long, though.
Joining His Cousin, Supergirl
Currently, Supergirl is one of over a dozen proposed films in development without an official release date, including Wonder Woman 3, Green Lantern Corps, and Black Canary. Most likely it won’t arrive in theaters till 2024 or later, and if The Flash ends how many fans are expecting, it could solidify Sasha Calle’s Supergirl as Cavill’s replacement. However, many hold out optimistic hope that the film will actually embrace Superman as part of Supergirl’s story.
When asked how they think Cavill could return to the DCU, u/West-Cardiologist writes, “Supporting role in the Supergirl movie. This is pretty much a no-brainer. At the very least I expect a cameo.” This seems like a safe bet. It would add more cohesion to the entire franchise and it would allow for Clark and Kara’s relationship to really be examined.
Man of Steel 2 Finally Happens
It’s not really a surprise that what most Superman fans want is just another Superman film. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was initially supposed to be the sequel to Man of Steel but it ended up being a hodgepodge and complicated prelude to the Justice League. While there were several great moments, like the introduction of Wonder Woman, it fell short in many fans’ eyes. Thus, a Man of Steel 2 is something the DCEU needs soon.
u/TheJoshider10 agrees with others that Superman could return to the franchise gradually, going from cameos to supporting roles “then we'd get a Superman sequel around the same time we'd get the clash between Superman and Black Adam.” Cavill, himself, is eager to return not only to the role but specifically to this project so he can continue to really explore who Superman is in this universe. Plus, it would allow for some fan-favorite villains, like Brainiac, to feature in the DCEU.
In The Distant Future
There were rumors a while back before the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League that Michael B. Jordan would be taking over as Superman. However, it was later revealed that he is developing an HBO-Max series focused on Earth-2’s Superman, Val-Zod, as part of the DCEU. On top of this, it was also announced that JJ Abrams is developing a reboot of the Superman film franchise separate from the DCEU. However, these shake out, they both will likely affect how Superman will be used in the franchise’s future.
u/AbdullaFTW thinks Superman won’t be back in a leading role until “after JJ Abrams Superman project and Michael B Jordan Vol-Zod project.” Unfortunately, that would mean even more years of impatient waiting for fans, so hopefully, the power that be find a way to work around this and bring Cavill back.