A new Superman movie reboot is in the works, with J.J. Abrams producing. The Man of Steel has received quite a few cinematic outings over the years, with Christopher Reeve playing some of the most beloved. In more recent years, Brandon Routh lead a new reboot in 2006's Superman Returns, but it was a franchise non-starter. In 2013, Zack Snyder's Man of Steel introduced the world to a new Superman, played by Henry Cavill. Cavill went on to appear in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League; his Superman will again be seen in Zack Snyder's Justice League when it releases next month.
However, Cavill's future as Superman has been in doubt for a few years now. Reports of Cavill's exit from his DCEU role as Superman first surfaced in 2018. Though they were refuted at the time, there's been no news of when Cavill might return as the Man of Steel and no projects are in active development. As recently as May 2020, there were reports that Cavill was in talks to return as Superman, but perhaps talks broke down. Now it seems Warner Bros. is looking to reboot the franchise entirely.
Deadline is reporting that a new Superman movie reboot is in development with Abrams producing. Author and Black Panther comics writer Ta-Nehisi Coates is penning the script. The publication further reports no plot details or casting is known. Hannah Minghella is set to serve as producer on the film. Coates, Abrams and Minghella's involvement in a new Superman movie was originally reported by Shadow and Act. They additionally report that casting has not yet begun for the role of Kal-El, implying it's been decided Warner Bros. will have a new actor don the cape.
While the news of a movie reboot is perhaps disappointing for those who wanted to see more of Cavill's take on Superman, it's not all that surprising considering Ben Affleck's exit from the DCEU as Batman. Warner Bros. continues to move away from Snyder's original plan for the DCEU, with his version of Justice League releasing on HBO Max likely to be the last of his vision realized. With Robert Pattinson playing a new Batman and The Flash movie introducing the multiverse, Warner Bros. has already laid the groundwork for the introduction of new versions of established DCEU characters. Whether that's how a new Superman will be introduced remains to be seen, but it seems like a possibility - even if it's not done in The Flash movie itself.
That said, considering casting hasn't been set for this this new Superman movie yet, there may be a possibility of Cavill returning in some form. Though it seems Warner Bros. is looking for a new Superman actor, perhaps Cavill will return to pass the torch in a fashion, as Affleck is doing by returning for The Flash movie. Considering Cavill's Superman story is far from resolved, it would offer viewers of the franchise some closure and pave the way for a new Superman. And as for who will lead this new Superman movie reboot, that remains to be seen until casting gets under way. For now, it's exciting to see Abrams involved in a Superman movie and Coates on board as the writer.
Source: Deadline, Shadow and Act