The 2019 film Shazam! is one of the more light-hearted entries in the DC Extended Universe. It's an exciting story that captures the wonder of what it's like to be a kid in the world of superheroes. It also explores how a kid would react if they discovered that they had superpowers too. One character in the film, Freddy Freeman, is a huge fan of the heroes like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, but he's never gotten the chance to meet any of them. That all changes when his friend, Billy Batson, aka Shazam, decides to join him in school during his lunch along with Superman. While the suit is the same one from Henry Cavill's portrayal, Cavil himself isn't in it. In fact, it was Zachary Levi's stunt-double, Ryan Handley, who revealed this on his Instagram.
Shazam! was released at a time where the DCEU was in flux. This came following the sudden restructuring of Zack Snyder's universe and the less than stellar opening of Joss Whedon's Justice League. At the time, the films focused more on distancing themselves from being interconnected but still existed in the same universe. It's a confusing explanation, but one that has continued to serve the film universe well enough. At the time of Shazam!'s release, however, fans were concerned about whether certain heroes would continue their roles following Justice League.
A chief example of this was Henry Cavill. The actor's turn as Superman has always been a DCEU highlight, as he captures what it's like to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders while still being an inspiration. However, his future in the role came into question after the reception of Justice League. Dealing with the backlash was hard, especially for Cavill, who had to return to the cape for reshoots while still shooting for Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Because he legally couldn't shave his facial hair, VFX artists had to digitally erase it for Justice League. This quickly became the center of many criticisms due to how the effects looked in the theatrical cut.
Following the film's release, the DCEU continued, but Cavill's sequel to Man of Steel wasn't even in the cards. Many believed that this spelled the end of his time as the hero. In reality, Cavill was initially meant to return for the cameo in Shazam!, according to director David F. Sandberg. But as the time to film approached, Cavill was unable to commit to the appearance. So Handley stepped into his shoes (literally). He managed to give his best Cavill performance from the neck down and helped deliver a heart-warming final scene.
There is no concrete reasoning as to why Cavill was unable to commit to the cameo. Initially, fans didn't even think he was ever meant to appear in Shazam! until Sandberg took to Twitter to clarify conflicting reports. Even now, there's been no official explanation as to why Cavill's role hasn't been revisited in the current slate of DC films. One possibility could be that Warner Bros. is planning to phase out this incarnation of the character, as evidenced by the recent reboot announcement. However, even now, nothing has been confirmed by the studio or the actor.
No matter the reasoning for Cavill's peculiar absence from the beloved role, it's clear that fans still want to see more of him. This is especially evidenced by Superman's appearance in Shazam! That being said, a percentage of that is definitely thanks to Handley's brief but effective time as the hero. Hopefully, his contribution will lead to even more appearances by the character, but until then, it looks to be merely another unique Easter egg in the DC Extended Universe.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods zaps into theaters on June 2, 2023.