Why Is Henry Cavill Not Returning For ‘Superman?’

Despite announcing his return as Superman following an appearance in the end-credits scene for Black Adam, Henry Cavill has officially hung up his cape and will not be moving forward as the Man of Steel. Prior to the confirmation that Cavill would not be returning to the superheroic role after years of patiently waiting, there were rumblings that new DC Studios chief James Gunn was rebooting the DC Universe. That now appears to be the case.

In a Twitter thread explaining why Cavill is not returning, Gunn revealed his plans for a new slate of films, which includes a younger take on Superman.

“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,” Gunn tweeted. “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.”

In an Instagram post confirming he’s exiting the role, Cavill took the news professionally, but he did manage to voice his frustration with being told to publicly announce his return only to have it taken away. That had to sting. However, Cavill was sure to offer his support for whoever takes the role next as he graciously accepted that his “time to wear the cape” has passed.

As for why Gunn is going for a younger Superman, there’s an easy answer. The new DC Studios chief is working on a 10-year plan for the franchise, which would presumably age Cavill out of the role far before Gunn can complete his multi-film story that will also stretch across TV, animation, and gaming. Plus, a new Superman will allow Gunn to make a clean break from the Zack Snyder films as he embarks on this new adventure.

(Via James Gunn on Twitter)