REPORT: Henry Cavill is Out as Superman in the DCEU!

September 12, 2018

After dying and being resurrected onscreen in the DCEU, it appears that Henry Cavill’s Superman is dead again at Warner Bros. Pictures. The Hollywood Reporter brings the sad word that Cavill is out after negotiations for a cameo in April’s Shazam! broke down due to scheduling conflicts, which happened prior to his commitment to the Netflix series The Witcher. Warners has decided to part ways the British actor, who has played the role of Kal-El in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.

Neither the studio nor Cavill has made an official statement yet, but according to the report the studio is shifting focus to a Supergirl movie, which will not require Superman. There are also no plans for a solo Superman film until years down the road. Persistent rumors state that Batman actor Ben Affleck is also on the outs with the studio, and that he will not appear in Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman. Fellow Justice Leaguers Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman 1984), Jason Momoa (Aquaman) and Ezra Miller (upcoming The Flash movie) are still reportedly onboard for future installments. Rumors had posited that Cavill’s Superman was to potentially be a lynchpin to the DCEU the same way Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury was for Marvel Studios, although that idea may now be scrapped. It’s also possible that a Shazam! cameo will act as a launching pad for the replacement Superman actor.

“Superman is like James Bond, and after a certain run you have to look at new actors,” says an unnamed studio insider. “There’s a recognition that some parts of the previous movies didn’t work.”

UPDATE 1: Shazam! executive producer Dany Garcia has released a cryptic statement on her Twitter, seemingly about the current developments with Henry Cavill…

Be peaceful, the cape is still in his closet. @wbpictures has been and continues to be our partners as they evolve the DC Universe. Anticipate a WB statement later today.

— Dany Garcia (@DanyGarciaCo) September 12, 2018

UPDATE 2: Warner Bros. has released the following official statement on the matter, which neither confirms nor denies the reports of Cavill’s ouster, simply indicating that the situation may be more liquid than initially reported…

“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.”

Stay tuned to ComingSoon.net for more as this story develops!

Shazam! will debut in theaters on April 5, 2019.