Following the reveal of the new Superman played by David Corenswet, many viewers will be left with the same question.
“Wait a minute, what happened to Henry Cavill?”
As recently as late 2022, Cavill was saying that he was set to appear in a future Superman film, and appeared in a post-credits scene for 2022’s Black Adam.
Despite this, in December 2022 it was confirmed that Henry Cavill would not be coming back, and instead Corenswet would be the new man to don the cape.
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This came after Cavill appeared in starring roles in three separate films, playing Clark Kent in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Justice League. No, we will not be counting Zack Snyder’s Justice League as a totally separate fourth appearance.
Cavill announced on his Instagram in October 2022 that he would be returning, saying: “I wanted to make it official: I am back as Superman … Thank you for your support and thank you for your patience. I promise it will be rewarded.”
Despite this, a month later, James Gunn and Peter Safran were named co-CEOs of DC Studios, and announced they were going to be rebooting the direction of the DC Universe.
In December, it was announced that a new actor was going to be brought in to play the character.
Posting to Instagram again, Henry Cavill posted about the news, providing within it a hint as to why he would not be returning.
He said: “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 the happiest of fortunes.
“My turn to wear the cape has passed, but what Superman stands for never will. It’s been a fun ride with you all, onwards and upwards.”
It has also been confirmed that Superman: Legacy will focus on the younger years of the caped hero, which had already passed in Cavill’s iteration.
James Gunn wrote on X: “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.”
Superman: Legacy releases on 11 July 2025.
Topics: Henry Cavill, Superman, TV and Film, Film
Michael Slavin