Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and producer J.J. Abrams are developing a new Superman movie reboot, which casts further doubt on Henry Cavill's own future as the DCEU's Man of Steel. Cavill made his debut as Superman back in 2013's Man of Steel, but his tenure in the blue and red costume hasn't fully gone to plan. Man of Steel itself was somewhat divisive for its darker, Zod-murdering portrayal of the character, but that was nothing compared to the negative critical and commercial responses to his next two outings, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. Cavill hasn't appeared since then - although Superman did make a headless cameo in Shazam! - and there have been several reports over the past few years regarding his future, which at best remains uncertain.

While the way ahead of Cavill is unclear, there are plans for Superman (and indeed his wider family). Following the announcement that Supergirl would appear in The Flash movie, it was reported on 26 February, 2021 that Warner Bros. is developing a new Superman movie, with J.J. Abrams producing and Ta-Nehisi Coates penning the script. With this being a reboot, that means it is at the very least a distinct take from Cavill's, but what does that mean for his future, and could he eventually return to the role one day?

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On the face of it, the fact a Superman reboot is in the works isn't good news for those hoping to see Cavill return. While it's still early days, this news, combined with the plans for Supergirl, show that WB's priorities for the Big Blue Boy Scout clearly lie elsewhere, and that does make sense. DC's movie future is more focused on standalone stories rather than the heavier shared universe focus the DCEU originally led with, and that's easier to do with iterations of characters who don't have any ties to that past. That's why Robert Pattinson is the main Batman of DC's future, and so logic would suggest the same now applies to Superman, especially given they're the two characters where DC has arguably struggled the most in terms of response.

Black Suit Superman - Zack Snyder's Justice League

While reports have been murky, Cavill has said he hopes to play Superman again, saying as much in June 2020, though he's since held his cards closer to his chest. While there has been talk of him making a cameo in a future movie, there are no plans for a true Superman appearance or Man of Steel 2, but he will be reprising his role in Zack Snyder's Justice League. That is expected to do more justice to Superman, fleshing out his character arc in a way the heavily reshot 2017 movie failed to do, complete with Superman in his black suit. That is generating more excitement for the character, but it still seems like a long shot it'll lead to another Cavill-led Superman movie being green lit, especially now the focus is elsewhere.

However, the Superman reboot isn't all bad news for Cavill. The future of DC movies is exploring the multiverse, with The Flash featuring multiple Batman actors. It's been reported that the new Superman will be Black, and it's unclear if that means it'll still be Clark Kent or another DC character, such as Calvin Ellis. Regardless of ethnicity, character name, and anything else, since the new Superman will be a different version, rather than a recast of Cavill's, then there is room for both to exist side-by-side. That means there'd be scope for Cavill to return at some point without getting in the way of the reboot, and perhaps even, like Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck's Batmen, for them to appear in the same movie.

With Cavill having lots of other commitments, including The Witcher, then it's unlikely anything would happen soon, but for those hoping for a return of Cavill's Superman, the door doesn't appear to be firmly shut just yet, especially given the Snyder Cut is happening after so many years of doubt. But whether Cavill does come back or not, with the promise of a Black Superman from a talented creative team, the Man of Steel's future is at least both exciting and tangible once again.

Next: Every Superman Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

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