Henry Cavill's Superman may be sitting on the sidelines a little longer, if not indefinitely, as a new report suggests that a sequel to Man of Steel might not be part of James Gunn and Peter Safran's developing plans for the DC Universe.
Ahead of Gunn and Safran's forthcoming meeting with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav about the future of the DCU, the Hollywood Reporter suggests one scenario "sees the shutting down of Man of Steel 2." According to the outlet's sources, Cavill filmed a cameo for DC Studios' upcoming The Flash movie back in September, but "there is a debate inside the studio as whether or not to keep the cameo and if its inclusion promises something that the studio would have no plans on delivering." These sources also claim that "Flash remains an unlocked picture," despite previous reports in October -- a month after Cavill allegedly shot his cameo -- that suggested the Ezra Miller-led standalone feature had locked in its final cut.
This will come as a surprise to many fans given Cavill's brief but memorable appearance at the end of Black Adam, which was followed by Cavill's Instagram post in which the actor officially confirmed his return as the DCU's Big Blue Boy Scout. The Hollywood Reporter notes that "at that time, [Cavill] was not incorrect. Warner Bros. was indeed developing a sequel for 2013's Man of Steel and actively meeting with writers." The outlet also revealed that The Flash's Andy Muschietti was interested in shepherding a Man of Steel sequel in the spirit of the Christopher Reeve films from the 1970s and 80s.
Cavill's DCU Future Is Still Up, Up in the Air
Setbacks for Man of Steel 2 were first reported in November, when word broke that there was still no writer or director attached to the project, nor was there a formal deal for Cavill's return as Superman despite his cameo in Black Adam. Also in November, Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson shared that Warner Bros.' old regime did not want Cavill's Superman to appear in the film but that the studio's new leadership under Discovery paved the way for the actor's return in addition to Johnson's strong lobbying efforts.
However, the Hollywood Reporter argues Johnson's hyping-up of Cavill's comeback heading into Black Adam could have done more harm than good. "Multiple sources say [Johnson's] playing up of a returning Cavill and his own involvement with DC may not be endearing him to [Warners'] new management," the outlet writes. Johnson also famously criticized Warner Bros.' previous leadership for sidelining Cavill following 2017's Justice League, excluding his role in the non-DCU Zack Snyder's Justice League in 2021.
Cavill has expressed interest in meeting with DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn to discuss the Last Son of Krypton's future in the DCU. "He's clearly a very, very talented man, and I cannot wait to sit down and have long, long conversations with him," the actor said. It is unknown whether such a meeting has taken place, though Gunn recently dispelled Geekosity's report that Cavill had signed a contract for multiple film and television appearances. "I'm not sure if you're purposely lying or being taken advantage of by someone lying to you, but, as I've stated on here before, NO ONE knows what's happening at DC Studios right now other than me & Peter [Safran]," Gunn replied on Twitter. "That would include writing up any new contracts for anyone at this point."
Source: THR