December 15, 2022
Henry Cavill Hangs Up his Superman Cape
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
British actor Henry Cavill, who has portrayed Superman in DC films since 2013, will not be reprising the role despite his cameo in the recent "Black Adam" movie.
Cavill made the announcement on Dec. 14, CNN reported.
"On Instagram, Cavill explained he had a meeting with filmmaker James Gunn and British film producer Peter Safran, who in October were named co-chairmen and chief executive officers of DC Studios," CNN detailed.
"I will, after all, not be returning as Superman," Cavill posted, saying he was "told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to [Gunn and Safran's] hire, this news isn't the easiest, but that's life."
"Superman is still around," he continued, saying "everything he stands for still exists, and the examples he sets for us are still there!"
On Twitter, Gunn posted his own Superman-related news on the same day, revealing that he and Safran "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," Gunn added. "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."
It might not be the end of the road for Cavill in the DC universe entirely; Gunn subsequently posted that "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."
Could recasting Superman be a chance for an LGBTQ+ actor to step into those big red boots? Or could the character be reimagined as gay or bi? Such a modernization would not exactly be without precedent; the comics have introduced two sons of Superman, one of whom is bisexual and shares his father's super powers as well as his iconic costume.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
