Henry Cavill's return as the Man of Steel may already be experiencing setbacks.
As reported by TheWrap, industry insiders claim that there is still no writer or director for Cavill's return to the DC Universe. On top of that, there is no formal deal for Cavill's return as Superman. Insiders additionally claim that there has been no movement on the Superman project due to the new co-heads of DC Studios, James Gunn and Peter Safran, still fine-tuning their long-term goals for the DCU's over-arching story.
It was reported in October that a sequel to 2013's Man of Steel was actively searching for screenwriters and would be produced by Charles Roven. It was also reported that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and the heads of Warner Bros. Pictures, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, were extremely interested in seeing Cavill reprise his DC Extended Universe role as Superman.
It appeared that Cavill's reprisal of the Superman role was set in stone following his on-screen return as the Last Son of Krypton in Warner Bros. and DC Films' Black Adam, starring Dwayne Johnson. However, a writer and a director have yet to be confirmed for a Superman solo project and, if the insiders are correct, Cavill has not formally signed on to anything.
When Will Cavill's Superman Return?
Despite the reported lack of movement on a Superman project, Cavill has announced that he would be departing Netflix's The Witcher after Season 3 and will be replaced in the role of Geralt by Liam Hemsworth. "As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam's take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men," Cavill said at the time. He did not provide a reason for his departure, though there was speculation that it is due to his return to the role of Superman.
Cavill has portrayed the Man of Steel in the DCEU since 2013's Man of Steel, and again in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016, Justice League in 2017 and Zack Snyder's Justice League in 2021. The actor has been open about his desire to return to the DCEU, stating in a December 2021 interview that he still has his Superman suit and is "ready and waiting for the phone calls."
Warner Bros. Discovery named Gunn and Safran as co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios in October, which encompasses film, television and animation. The studio will replace DC Films, which was shuttered following Walter Hamada’s exit that same month. Gunn will oversee the creative aspect of DC Studios, while Safran’s role will center around business and production. The two have confirmed that they have a ten-year-plan "to tell one great overarching story... across film, television gaming, live-action, and animation."
Source: TheWrap