Henry Cavill No Longer Superman in DC Universe

UPDATE: WB has released a brief statement, saying, “While no decisions have been made regarding any upcoming Superman films, we’ve always had great respect for and a great relationship with Henry Cavill, and that remains unchanged.”

Original Story:

Henry Cavill will no longer be playing Superman, as DC and Warner Bros. are reportedly shaking-up the DC cinematic universe.

The actor first assumed the role in 2013s Man of Steel, and then reprised it for Batman v. Superman (2016) and Justice League (2017).

According to The Hollywood Reporter, no official confirmation has been made, but sources close to the situation say that the studio’s new focus on a teenage Supergirl may have something to do with the decision.

A couple of other factors cited are Cavill’s scheduling conflicts that kept him from shooting a cameo in DC/WB’s Shazam! film — which will be released in 2019 — as well as the recent announcement that he will star in Netflix’s adaptation of The Witcher.

Superman is not necessarily going away entirely, however, as the source noted that “Superman is like James Bond, and after a certain run you have to look at new actors.”

Cavill is not the only current DC/WB actor transitioning out, as it has long been rumored that Ben Affleck is done playing Batman/Bruce Wayne.

“There’s a recognition that some parts of the previous movies didn’t work,” the insider added in regards to the actors moving on and the studio hitting a “reset” button on the films.

While playing the iconic Superman was certainly a major moment in Cavill’s career, he actually cites another past role as being the one to change his life: 2002s The Count of Monte Cristo, his first major film role.

“Suddenly I had a career. I was going to LA to try and find more work, meeting agents and going to studios to see if we could read scripts and stuff, and it became a job,” Cavill told Square Mile in a July 2018 interview. So I got a job at seventeen which I’m still in now, and it became very serious and very real, very quickly.”

Interestingly, during that same conversation, Cavill spoke about the impact that playing Superman had on him, and seemed to be excited about the prospect of exploring the character on film more.

Specifically, he referenced the Superman: For Tomorrow comic book, calling it “one of my favourite comic books,” and saying that he “would definitely like to tell a story like that.”

“There’s an opportunity to keep on telling Superman stories, and getting them exactly right. Showing the things like hope and joy and that wonderful power of his to make people believe in themselves,” he added.

At this time, Cavill does not appear to have confirmed his exit from the franchise.