If rumours are true, the DC cinematic universe is soon going to lose its Man of Steel. Reports that Henry Cavill will exit from his famed Superman role in the DC Extended Universe has left us all astounded. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros’ attempts for a Superman cameo in Shazam! failed as contract talks broke down due to scheduling conflicts.
Now that Cavill has signed up for the lead in Netflix’s adaptation of The Witcher, we probably won’t see a Man of Steel 2 either.
Cavill’s exit could also mean that we will be seeing Warner Bros’ new Supergirl movie that will explore the character origins of a teen superheroine, as per The Hollywood Reporter. This essentially leaves out Superman’s role in the movie as it features Supergirl as a teenager in Krypton - whereas Superman will be an infant.
Amid these reports, Warner Bros also released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that Cavill is not exiting the role: "While no decisions have been made regarding any upcoming Superman films, we’ve always had great respect for and a great relationship with Henry Cavill, and that remains unchanged," a Warner Bros. spokesperson said.
While the above statement did not reveal much, Henry Cavill’s agent Dany Garcia tweeted that “the cape is still in his closet” (!!!).
These varying reports in a single day has left fans confused and hopeful for an official confirmation from the studio and the actor. While some are fervently hoping the news will be a rumour, others are looking forward to the announcement of the next actor who could play Supes - even though no Superman movie is scheduled in the distant future, according to DC.
Reminiscing how actor Toby Maguire left the Spiderman role, 24 year old Aswinraja from Chennai says, "Henry will always be my Supes. I can't accept anyone else playing this role.”
Coming after the Zack Snyder snub and Justice League’s failure, this seems like yet another blow for DC fans. Film reviewer Gopinath says, “Henry Cavill was just a good actor stuck in the wrong suit (no pun intended). First it was Zack Snyder and now this. If this wasn't enough, there's the news of Ben Affleck leaving the universe for a long time. It's high time they rebooted the franchise.”
“This is bound to be a rumour - Henry Cavill as Superman definitely made his career,” says Tamizh, a student from Chennai.
Eeshaan, a DC comic book fan from Boston, echoes a generation of DC fans’ emotions: The only good thing about the entire series was the set of good actors who held the movie together even when the script was bad. I don't think anybody can carry the movie and the character forward like Henry Cavill did.
Who should DC consider next for the role of Superman? Malavika, a DC movie buff from Bangalore suggests, “They must look at some Asians too for the role. Vicky Kaushal or Fawad Khan could do justice too!” Aswinraja says his vote is for Chris Evans.
As speculation is rife, we could look forward to one of these possibilities next:
1 Supergirl storyline could take shape as the next Kryptonian focus
2 A possible reviving of the rest of the DC superheroes?
3 Casting of a black Superman
4 Nicolas Cage as the next Superman?
(We are only kidding but the internet, has other plans)
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