How Henry Cavill's Superman Could Become The DCEU's Hulk

Superman's new role in the DCEU might be similar to how the Hulk'(Mark Ruffalo) is being used in the MCU. On the heels of Zack Snyder's Justice League officially coming via HBO Max, it's revealed that Warner Bros. and Henry Cavill are in talks for his Superman return. Fans were thrilled about the idea of seeing the actor playing the iconic DC superhero again, but the terms of his new deal may not be what everyone was looking forward to as it limits his appearance in the franchise.

The DCEU kicked off in 2013 via Man of Steel, which debuted Cavill as the latest iteration of Superman/Clark Kent. He reprised the role twice more in 2016's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and then in 2017's Justice League. After that, however, the character's future became uncertain as Warner Bros. has yet to confirm when his next appearance is going to be - that's despite the franchise having films locked until 2022. This may have to do with what's in Cavill's new contract.

While Cavill might be closer to reprising Superman on the big screen, his appearances will supposedly be limited. It turns out, his new contract doesn't guarantee him headlining another standalone film. Instead, Cavill's only set to appear in films like Shazam 2 or Aquaman 2, or any future DC superhero movie whose title character has had previous ties to Superman. This backs up a previous report saying that Warner Bros. is not actively developing a Man of Steel 2 despite clamor from the fans. Assuming that this is the case, Superman's role in the DCEU will be similar to MCU's the Hulk - who after 2008's The Incredible Hulk has only appeared via small cameos like his surprise appearance in Iron Man 3's post-credits scene or in team-up movies such as Thor: Ragnarok and the Avengers movies.

It's worth noting, however, that the reason the Hulk has been used sporadically over the last years is that Marvel Studios doesn't own Hulk's movie rights, whereas Warner Bros. does for Superman. This is actually a key reason why Marvel Studios hasn't been able to roll out another Hulk standalone since 2008. In 2017, Ruffalo said that Universal is to blame why there's not another Hulk solo film in the works - apparently, the studio isn't playing well with Kevin Feige and his team, making it impossible to push through with a project together, the same way Marvel now does with Sony for Spider-Man.

Without these complications for Superman, it's curious why Warner Bros. is not keen on using the character more - he's one of, if not DC's most prominent hero. With a well-established following, he has the potential to be their best cash cow, not just in terms of box office, but also for tie-in merchandise. In conjunction to that, while Cavill's Superman movies such as Man of Steel, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League have been divisive, most actually like the actor playing the role - in fact, it would be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn't want to see more of him playing the part.

There might not be any Superman standalone in active development, but if there's anything that fans learned about the Release the Snyder Cut petition, mass campaigns can actually work. As Cavill is set to be front and center of Snyder's Justice League after his role was snipped in the movie's 2017 theatrical version, people's reaction to the new project and the Last Son of Krypton's role in it can be a game-changer with regard to the character's future in the DCEU.

More: Why Ben Affleck Returning To DC Is Less Likely Than Henry Cavill