'My turn to wear the cape has passed': Henry Cavill dropped as Superman weeks after announcing return to iconic role
15 December 2022, 14:24
Henry Cavill has been dropped as Superman just weeks after announcing his return to the iconic role.
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It comes after Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman 3 was also axed from the upcoming DC slate in a fresh shake-up at Warner Bros'.
James Gunn and Peter Safran were recently announced as the new heads of DC Films, planning a new way forward for the superhero universe.
The update came as a surprise to many after Cavill's welcomed cameo in DC's Black Adam - released only two months ago.
Cavill said in a statement: "I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it's sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman.
"After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn't the easiest, but that's life
"The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build.
"I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and happiest of fortunes."
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Shortly after Cavill's statement, James Gunn said: "Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year.
"Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman's life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill.
"But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future."
Cavill recently stepped down from his lead role in Netflix series The Witcher, which many speculated was to clear his schedule for his Man of Steel return.
His return to Superman was announced shortly after it was revealed he had left the project.
The 39-year-old captioned a video message on Instagram: "A very small taste of what’s to come, my friends. The dawn of hope renewed. Thank you for your patience, it will be rewarded."
There have since been calls for the Enola Holmes star to instead move forward as the lead in a new live-action Warhammer film.
He has made it no secret in recent years that he's a fan of the games.
