Henry Cavill, who starred as Superman in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, is reportedly saying farewell to the so-called DC Extended Universe.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. had sought to sign the actor for a long-rumored cameo in Shazam! However, sources indicate that negotiations broke down, pointing to the end of Cavill's time in the iconic red cape.
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The outlet contends the studio is turning a page on its cinematic universe, with a focus shifting away from the Man of Steel and toward a Supergirl film, reported just last month to be in development.
The reason for the negotiations impasse isn't clear, with THR citing one Warner Bros. source as saying it came down to a scheduling conflict -- after all, Cavill did just sign on to Netflix's The Witcher -- while another implied it may have had more to do with the studio's desire to chart another course for its DC films after a rocky start.
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It's quite possible, then, that Warner Bros. will have both a new Superman and a new Batman, following persistent rumors that Ben Affleck is finished playing the Dark Knight. Director Matt Reeves' The Batman would, of course, then introduce a new Bruce Wayne, but an unnamed source told THR that it may be a while before a new Superman movie goes into production.
The 35-year-old Cavill was cast in the title role of director Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, the divisive 2013 that retroactively launched the DCEU, and then returned in 2016's Batman v Superman and 2017's Justice League, none of which earned the reception, or the blockbuster status, Warner Bros. might have envisioned. While there had been rumblings of a Man of Steel sequel, no concrete developments had ever emerged.