Henry Cavill delighted fans in October when he made a surprise appearance as Superman in “Black Adam,” then revealed soon after that he was fully ready to once again don the red cape full time for DC Studios and WBD. And for a while, his return seemed like a sure thing. But TheWrap can exclusively report that Cavill seems to have encountered some kryptonite on the way back to playing Superman.
According to numerous insiders with knowledge of the situation, although it has been previously reported that the search for a writer was currently underway, the fact is there’s currently no writer or director attached to the project and there’s currently no formal deal with Cavill to return.
Additionally, according to an insider, as it currently stands at the moment there’s no forward momentum on the project while newly installed DC Studio bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran have been busy fine-tuning their long range plan for the DCU.
The move seemed logical following Cavill’s announcement that he exited as the star of Netflix’s hit series “The Witcher” — a move widely interpreted as a way to free up his schedule. And multiple reports held that a new something featuring the last son of Krypton was in the works.
Actress Amy Adams made waves this week when she commented on Henry Cavill’s possible return as Superman. “Isn’t it exciting?” Adams told Variety on Wednesday at the premiere of “Disenchanted.”
Adams, who played Lois Lane in 2013’s “Man of Stee,l” added: “I’m thrilled for [Cavill]. He’s such a wonderful Superman so I’m very excited for him.”
Adams made it sound like the news is official, however the reality is that there haven’t been any confirmations of any elements in place for a sequel to “Man of Steel.”
No one knows what the long range plan is, except for Gunn and Safran who have been at their new posts for less than three weeks. However, according to the insider, Gunn and Safran’s long range plan should be revealed in the next two months.
Post “Black Adam,” Cavill has promised future appearances as the last son of Krypton while Johnson has publicly touted his own vision for Black Adam and Superman in the DC Universe.
“Black Adam” was the first time Cavill had suited up as the Man of Steel since the long production of “Justice League” back in 2016 and 2017. It comes as a boon to fans of Cavill’s iteration of the character after murmurs that Superman was going to be rebooted and the actor’s tenure had concluded.
Cavill’s future as Superman has been the subject of speculation for the last few years, with a Superman cameo happening at the end of 2019’s “Shazam!” but with the character’s face obscured, leading some to assume this was a signal that the role might be recast.
While no formal plans for the future of Cavill’s Superman have been announced, the character’s journey in “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” — the four-hour director’s cut of “Justice League” that was released on HBO Max in 2021 — was warmly received.
Recently, reports have surfaced and spread like wildfire on fan sites that Cavill will make an appearance as Superman in 2023’s “The Flash.”
Warners didn’t immediately respond to request for comment. A representative for Cavill couldn’t be reached for comment.
