On the heels of the actor being booted, a Man of Steel 2 fan trailer shows what Henry Cavill's proper Superman sequel could have looked like. Following his much-anticipated return to the DC Universe via a Black Adam cameo, there was so much excitement about seeing Cavill's Superman more in the future. Director Zack Snyder's Man of Steel in 2013 kicked off Warner Bros.' own superhero movie franchise which also debuted Cavill in the iconic role. Sadly, even after almost a decade of wearing the red cape, the actor has only starred in four more projects, including Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max, but has yet to headline his own film again since Man of Steel.

Now, however, Cavill has finally wrapped up his run as Last Son of Krypton after it was confirmed that DCU's new co-CEO, James Gunn is going for a younger Superman in a new film, demanding a recast, despite fans' clear clamor to see more of Cavill in the role. This inspired Screen Culture to come up with a Man of Steel 2 fake trailer which sees Superman going up against Black Adam following their initial entanglement in the Black Adam film. Watch the fan-made trailer below:

Related: Henry Cavill's Superman Exit Explained: 9 Biggest Questions Answered

What Henry Cavill's Man of Steel 2 Could've Been About

Superman feels hopeless - Batman v Superman

On the heels of Ben Affleck's exit from the DCU, rumors ran rampant that Cavill was also on his way out. But despite the lack of any clear plans from Warner Bros. for Man of Steel 2, the actor remained defiant, insisting that he was still the franchise's Superman. This kept fans' hope alive that it was only a matter of time before he makes his return — something that Black Adam's Superman cameo finally made possible. Sadly, not long after his brief appearance in Johnson's first DCU movie, his journey with the franchise officially has ended, leaving fans wondering what Man of Steel 2 could have been.

The aforementioned fan-made trailer proposes an interesting narrative as it picks up on Black Adam's tease about a conflict between the two DC characters. Otherwise, Man of Steel 2 could also see Superman fight other major DC villains, particularly Brainiac, who would be a great villain follow-up to Man of Steel's antagonist, General Zod. In fact, a recent report suggests that DC Studios were contemplating staging this match-up before Gunn and his DCU co-CEO, Peter Safran, decided that it's best to start over with its version of the Man of Steel by going for a younger version.

It's an understatement to say that Cavill ending his Superman stint like this is a massive disappointment for franchise fans. Despite starring in divisive DC films, there's a general agreement that the actor is actually great in the role, but that Warner Bros. just needed to find the right stories to highlight that. Now, that can no longer happen, with Man of Steel 2 starring Cavill effectively canceled as the DCU takes on a different route for its flagship character

More: Batman V. Superman Set Up The Perfect Villain For Gunn's DCU Kal-El

Source: Screen Culture

Key Release Dates