Fans are still upset that Henry Cavill won’t be returning as Superman. Especially now that James Gunn has confirmed a younger actor will take the role for Superman: Legacy. Nevertheless, James Gunn is also adamant that he never fired Henry Cavill.
This was stated by James Gunn in a new announcement for the first DCU slate. This first chapter, titled Gods & Monsters, so far includes five films and five television shows. Though he notes that neither Henry Cavill nor Ben Affleck will be coming back for these projects.
Here’s what he had to say regarding the two actors and how the DCU will not include them:
“All I can tell you right now, really, is Henry and Ben are not a part of this universe. Also important to say that Henry Cavill was not fired. Henry was just not hired to be Superman in the Superman movie. There was never a deal there for another movie.”
As you can see, James Gunn clarifies that Henry Cavill was technically never fired from playing Superman. Although he appeared in Black Adam – it was contractually only a one-off appearance. There were never any other contracted film appearances after the fact. So, once James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios, they had no reason to keep Henry Cavill onboard.
Obviously fans of his take on Superman will still be upset. This is evident in the backlash that the DC Studios co-head has already faced. But James Gunn has made some exciting promises with his upcoming project Superman: Legacy. So, with that in mind, we’ll have to see if he can ultimately win fans over in the end.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for additional updates regarding Henry Cavill’s ongoing career and the new DCU slate. Meanwhile, Superman: Legacy is scheduled to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.