Henry Cavill was not fired, & he was never cast, said James Gunn
James Gunn, co-CEO of DC Studios, has clarified that Henry Cavill, who starred in Man of Steel, was not terminated but rather rejected for future Superman films.
Henry Cavill’s return as Superman for the DC Extended Universe has yet to have a formal deal in place, according to the new co-presidents of DC Studios, James Gunn and Peter Safran. Safran stressed how Cavill couldn’t have been sacked because he was never chosen in the first place during a press appearance to announce the new extended plan for the DC Universe.
James Gunn says they “didn’t fire Henry Cavill. Henry was never cast.”
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 31, 2023
“For me, it’s about who do I want to cast as Superman and who do the filmmakers we have want to cast. And for me, for this story, it isn’t Henry.”
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James Gunn stated, “didn’t fire Henry [Cavill]. He was never cast. He was in a cameo, and that was the end of his story. I like Henry. He’s gotten dicked around by a lot of people, including former regimes of this company. But [our] Superman isn’t Henry for a number of reasons.”
“For me, it’s about who do I want to cast as Superman and who do the filmmakers we have want to cast. And for me, for this story, it isn’t Henry,” Gunn continued.
Gunn faced questions about which characters from the previous DCEU, which began with Man of Steel and had several movies left, including The Flash, during a press event yesterday when the schedule for the first installment of the reimagined DCU, Gods and Monsters, was unveiled.
Gunn acknowledged that certain decisions got taken, but he didn’t elaborate on what they might have been or whether they had been made for some actors.
Although DC Studios has been in disarray for some time, Cavill has been the most identifiable Superman for the past ten years. With Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel debut in 2013, Cavill even assisted in launching the DC Universe.
Since then, a lot has occurred, including Warner forcing Zack Snyder out and Walter Hamada taking up the job of rearranging DC’s schedule of theatrical releases. Since the creation of 2017’s Justice League, Henry Cavill has primarily been absent from the DCEU; however, he got reintroduced for Black Adam’s end-credit scene.
Fans were optimistic after seeing Cavill as Superman since everyone saw the Black Adam end-credits scenes as a promise. Additionally, before Gunn and Safran seized control of DC Studios in October, Cavill formally announced his return to the role.
Actor Dwayne Johnson frequently discussed how Black Adam reset the DC Extended Universe and how his and Cavill’s characters would eventually engage in combat on screen. Cavill allegedly returned and said the Black Adam appearance was just a “very modest taste of what is to come,” which further heightened the situation.
Things swiftly changed after Gunn, and co-CEO Peter Safran assumed control of DC Studios, and around six weeks after Cavill declared his comeback, he wrote again to announce that he would no longer be back as the Man of Steel.
Unfortunately, Gunn utilized his social media platforms to inform fans that Cavill would only return as Superman a month before disclosing their grand scheme for the DC Universe.
Before joining the Justice League, the Man of Steel’s adventures would be the centerpiece of the new DC Universe, which would hire a fresh young actor to play the role.
Everyone was shocked by the announcement, and ever since then, a horde of fans have been blaming Warner Bros. Discovery for firing Henry Cavill.
James Gunn’s statements referred to Henry Cavill as a liar after the press conference because Gunn refuted Cavill’s earlier claims.
That supports earlier claims that Cavill may have acted prematurely after discussing his Superman future before signing any contracts.
Getting everything in writing is the essential Hollywood guideline, even though some individuals may be upset with Warner Bros. Discovery officials for breaking their promises.
It’s also important to point out that any discussion about Cavill’s comeback occurred before Gunn and Safran assumed control of the DC Universe and set out to modernize everything.
Who will be the next superman instead of Henry Cavill & when will the new Superman movie come?
The main goal of the press conference was to create a new and promising future for DC supporters rather than just patching up old rifts. For instance, Superman Legacy, a future Superman film, was also revealed by Gunn and Safran. Gunn is writing the script of Superman Legacy. However, it could be more apparent if he’ll also be directing.
Superman: Legacy, a narrative about Superman integrating his Kryptonian ancestry with his human upbringing, would instead debut on July 11, 2025, with a different actor donning the suit.
Five TV episodes and four movies comprise Chapter 1 of the DC Universe, featuring characters like Swamp Thing, Supergirl, Robin, and Batman in The Brave and the Bold.