Following his appearance in Black Adam, Man of Steel star Henry Cavill never had a contract to continue playing Superman in the DCEU.
The Hollywood Reporter cited individuals who said Cavill does not have a signed agreement to play Superman once more. He allegedly had a verbal deal with DC Films for upcoming Superman films. Cavill spoke with co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, who is now developing the DCU after the management restructuring and rebranding as DC Studios. Cavill’s version of Superman will not be a part of the series.
Cavill reaffirmed the information on social media, adding, “After all, I won’t be coming back as Superman. Even though the studio asked me to do so back in October before they were recruited, sharing this news hasn’t been the easiest, but that’s life. An event that takes place is the changing of the guard. I honor that. James and Peter need to create a universe.”
One of several changes made as Gunn and Safran appear to relaunch the DCEU and separate the movie series from its earlier installments is the elimination of Cavill’s portrayal of Superman. Despite having already been shot, Cavill’s appearance in The Flash, which is scheduled for release in 2023, will also be scrapped. Gal Gadot’s portrayal of Wonder Woman in the movie will be cut, as DC Studios decided not to move through with filmmaker Patty Jenkins’ version of Wonder Woman 3. There are plans for the Man of Steel at DC Studios. The Man of Steel will appear in a younger incarnation in a project written by Gunn and dedicated to the legendary hero.
Cavill received the same $250,000 payment for his appearance in Black Adam even though it was deleted from The Flash. Dwayne Johnson, the actor in Black Adam, worked hard to get Cavill to feature in his movie. Cavill was allegedly used as “a pawn in Dwayne’s unsuccessful attempt to control a piece of DC,” according to a source.
It’s important to note that Johnson and producer Hiram Garcia both seemed to suggest significant plans for Cavill’s Superman around Black Adam’s release, including a multi-film narrative focused on the Kryptonian’s war with Teth-Adam.