Man of Steel 2: Cavill Reportedly Demanded Script & Director Approval

Henry Cavill reportedly demanded director and script approval from Warner Bros. for Man of Steel 2. The DCEU's inaugural actor, Cavill debuted the role in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel and reprised it two more times in 2016's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2017's Justice League.

Unfortunately, his future as the iconic DC hero is bleak, following reports last year that he's out of the franchise. Things got a lot more complicated when both Warner Bros. and Cavill's camp made separate statements not confirming the initial news. The problem is, they have yet to straighten out what's really the case with regard to the actor's involvement in the DCEU. Months have passed and still no official word has been made with regard to the issue. But the latest piece of information may offer fans an idea at what went down during the studio and Cavill's negotiations for a contract extension.

Revenge of the Fans is reporting that while both camps are keen on seeing Cavill as Superman again, the actor's demands are hindering his return as the hero. Aside from a pay raise, he also wants both director and script approval, as well as a producer credit for Man of Steel 2. No additional information was given with regard to specifics with regard to Cavill's choice of director or how much he's asking to get for a salary increase, regardless, Warner Bros. wasn't keen on giving into all of his requests. This effectively killed the first round of negotiations, and since then, they haven't found a way to meet in the middle.

UPDATE: Collider reached out to Cavill's representatives, who denied the report, calling it "patently inaccurate" and saying there's "no truth to this."

It's understandable that Cavill wants a say on Man of Steel 2's director and script, especially since all three of his current outings as the hero were met with mixed reviews. This is despite the fact that the actor's portrayal of Clark Kent was well-received by the majority of fans. If he decides to put on the red cape again, he and his camp need to know where Warner Bros. is planning to take his character and how he'll fit in the bigger DCEU. Knowing that the actor is working with a director that he's comfortable working with will only help the project. In any case, these two stipulations, coupled with the pay increase don't seem to be that much to ask.

However, Cavill would also have to compromise and show Warner Bros. that he's willing to work with them, especially since the studio isn't that keen on pushing for a Man of Steel 2 - meaning they could discard him (much to the dismay of fans) if they want to. Perhaps he can drop the producer credit from his list of demands. While Ben Affleck is officially done playing Batman, the success of Aquaman means that the DCEU can still flourish, especially if the much-clamored for Man of Steel 2 finally gets the green light. The franchise's announced slate runs until 2021, and unless Warner Bros. moves their DC properties around, the Superman sequel might be a bit of await for fans. But at this point, fans would undoubtedly be happy just to know that the project is moving forward with Cavill back as the titular hero.