A new report claims that Warner Bros. recently reached out to Henry Cavill to return as the DCEU's Superman. The actor kicked off DC's own interconnected superhero franchise in 2013 with Man of Steel from director Zack Snyder. Almost a decade since, a lot has already happened in the franchise, with Warner Bros. Discovery now implementing another shift in strategy when it comes to handling their DCEU movies.
On the heels of the management change over at the studio, newly installed Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav enacted a string of mandates that have received various reactions from the industry and fans. One of the biggest shockers was the decision to cancel Batgirl - a $90-million film that was already near completion. According to an official Warner Bros. statement, it's part of a brand new strategy for their superhero projects, which also includes laying out a 10-year DCEU blueprint similar to what Marvel Studios has with the MCU.
That plan might have involved Cavill's return as Superman. According to Fandango's Erik Davis (via The Direct), Warner Bros. tried reaching out to Cavill in the hopes that the actor would return to the world of DC and put on the red cape again. Unfortunately, Cavill supposedly isn't interested. Read Davis' full quote below:
What have you heard about Henry lately, I've heard a story that they've asked him, and he doesn't want to do it, he doesn't want to come back.
Since this isn't confirmed, it's best to take it with a healthy dose of salt, but if there's actually merit to it, Cavill's current stance on the matter is significantly different from his previous ones. Amid the initial DCEU shakeup that left his iteration of Superman's future uncertain, there were reports that he was officially out as the Last Son of Krypton. Despite this, the actor continued to insist that he still owns the mantle, keeping fans optimistic about his eventual return. Years went by and a Superman reboot was announced, not to mention a Supergirl project, and there was still no word about Cavill's next outing in the DCEU. But with no concrete word on the matter from either Warner Bros. or Cavill, there was always hope that, ultimately, a deal would be reached, and the franchise's original Superman would take flight again.
There's no lack of interest in seeing Cavill's Superman on the big screen again; the public's reaction to rumors that Cavill's DCEU return was going to be announced at San Diego Comic-Con is proof of this. After years of campaigning for Man of Steel 2, Warner Bros. may finally be listening to its fans by making moves to bring the actor back. Unfortunately, with Cavill allegedly no longer interested, especially with other projects lined up for him and a potential James Bond stint, seeing him back in the DCEU may be more unlikely now than ever.
Source: Erik Davis (via The Direct)
