Henry Cavill has been fired as Superman by new DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran
British actor Henry Cavill has been dropped from the role of Superman after new DC Studios executives decided not to cast him as the iconic superhero in their next film.
Cavill, who has played Superman since 2013’s Man of Steel, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share the “sad news” that he would not be returning to the iconic role.
“I’ve just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and this is sad news for everyone,” he said. “I’m not going back as Superman, after all. After being told by the studio to announce my return in October ahead of their hiring, this news isn’t the easiest of news, but such is life.”
Cavill told fans in October that he would be returning to the role of Clark Kent, aka Superman, in DC Comics’ expanded cinematic universe. The announcement came shortly after he stepped down from starring in the Netflix fantasy series The Witcher.
Cavill shared a picture of himself in costume, promising at the time that it was “just a very small taste of what’s to come.”
He reportedly earned £11 million ($13.5 million) for his role in ‘Man of Steel’ and has played Superman in three other DC films since its release.
Cavill’s confirmation that he would play Superman again came shortly after the theatrical release of DC’s Black Adam, in which he appeared as a character in a mid-credits scene.
Why is Cavill being replaced?
Filmmaker Gunn and producer Safran were hired in October to head up DC’s film, television and animation departments, just days after Cavill announced he was returning as Superman and The Witcher protagonist Geralt of Rivia would resign.
It was announced that they would be taking on the roles of co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios, a newly formed arm of Warner Bros. formed to replace DC Films.
Though Cavill admitted his disappointment at being dropped from the role, he wished Gunn and Safran “good luck and all the best” on Wednesday.
“The changing of the guard is something that happens,” he said. “I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build. For those who have been by my side over the years… we can grieve a bit, but then we have to remember that Superman is still here. All for what he stands, still exists, and the examples he gives us are still there. It’s my turn to wear the cloak, but what Superman stands for never will.”
He added, “It’s been a fun ride with you all, onward and upward.”
Separately, Gunn – who is writing a script for a new installment in the DC cinematic universe – confirmed in a tweet Wednesday night that he and Safran had decided against asking Cavill to star in their upcoming film, which is still in development to appear as Superman.
“In the early stages, our story will focus on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill,” Gunn said, adding that the film will not be a Superman origin story.
“But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we’ve talked about a number of exciting opportunities to work together in the future,” he added.
Who are James Gunn and Peter Safran?
Gunn, an American screenwriter, producer and director, is familiar with high profile superhero films, with films such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Endgame and The Suicide Squad.
Avengers: Endgame, which Gunn executive produced, is the highest-grossing superhero film of all time, grossing $2.8 billion worldwide.
Gunn himself was fired from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise in 2018 over a series of old tweets in which he addressed issues such as rape and pedophilia. Disney later rehired him to write and direct the third installment in the franchise after he publicly apologized for the decades-old tweets and asked the cast — including stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Bradley Cooper — for his return.
Safran has produced several films for Warner Bros., including Aquaman, Shazam, and The Suicide Squad, which were adapted from DC Comics.
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