Henry Cavill's version of Superman starred in four DCEU films, but ironically enough, the franchise told the hero's most interesting stories off-screen. DC's movie universe began in 2013 with Man of Steel. Directed by Zack Snyder, the film centered on Clark Kent coming to terms with his alien heritage while also protecting Earth from hostile Kryptonians. Superman's journey continued in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but the movie's emphasis on Bruce Wayne led to the Man of Tomorrow playing a semi-supporting role in the story. Kal-El was killed by Doomsday at the end of the sequel, but he was revived in 2017's Justice League to deal with Steppenwolf's invasion of Earth.
Despite its focus on Superman's impact on humanity and his resurrection, Justice League gave the hero limited screen time, resulting in a narrow margin for character development. Cavill returned as the Man of Steel for Zack Snyder's Justice League, but with Warner Bros. considering Snyder's Justice League to be non-canon to the DCEU, 2017's Justice League remains the actor's last appearance in the main franchise. Such limited roles have prevented the character from being fully explored. However, while Cavill's time as Superman seemingly ended with Justice League, the hero went on to have a fascinating off-screen journey developed over the course of three projects: Shazam!, The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker.
The Man of Steel's first post-Justice League appearance came as a faceless cameo in Shazam!'s closing scene, in which he paid a visit to Freddy Freeman at school to impress the boy's classmates. Played by Zachary Levi's stunt double Ryan Handley, the Shazam! cameo showed Superman from the neck down as he approached Freddy and Billy. That was followed by The Suicide Squad establishing that Bloodsport (Idris Elba) had been incarcerated after nearly killing the hero with a kryptonite bullet. Superman then made a second faceless appearance in HBO Max's Peacemaker, played by actor Brad Abramenko. Shrouded in darkness, he arrived at the Butterflies' headquarters alongside the Justice League to help Peacemaker's team deal with the creatures.
Superman's Off-Screen Stories Can Make Henry Cavill's Return Better
There is uncertainty regarding Henry Cavill's tenure as Kal-El, especially with the actor being rumored to have rejected an offer to reprise the role. Regardless, persistent rumors about Cavill's potential DCEU return point to the possibility of Warner Bros. Discovery being interested in having The Witcher star step back into the cape and tights. Should that come to fruition, Superman's off-screen stories have established intriguing developments for the hero that could improve his theoretical comeback.
Shazam!, for example, showed that Kal-El became aware of the mystical corner of the DCEU, an important occurrence, given his long-teased confrontation with Black Adam and his vulnerability to magic. Bloodsport's near-successful attempt on his life also represented a momentous event for the Man of Steel, particularly seeing how him being in critical condition is typically reserved for major storylines in comics and live-action (e.g., Superman Returns; Batman v Superman). Lastly, Peacemaker's season finale implied it was Amanda Waller who called in the Justice League to help with the Butterflies, hinting at Superman being somewhat cognizant of Waller's involvement with the criminal underworld and perhaps even with Task Force X.
Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and Justice League developed an interesting arc for Clark Kent, exploring him as an outsider struggling to accept his humanity while coming to terms with the burden of being a superhero. The DCEU didn't delve deeper into the character before his last starring role in Justice League, but that inadvertently changed with the stories implied by his cameos and his reference in The Suicide Squad. The franchise has now established a more seasoned Man of Steel, and while Henry Cavill's return to the role is uncertain, Superman's off-screen stories allow the DCEU to reintroduce an improved version of the hero, should the opportunity present itself.
