It’s being reported that Henry Cavill will be stepping down from his role as Superman. The actor portrayed the iconic character in three films, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League. Cavill and his team at WME were in negotiations to cameo in the upcoming Shazam!, but contract talks with Warner Bros. broke down, with Casvill’s future as Supes up in the air. WB has stated that no decisions have been made yet, stating “We have a great relationship and great respect for Henry Cavill that continues to remain unchanged. Additionally we have made no current decisions regarding any upcoming Superman films.” It’s definitely possible that this is a ploy on Cavill’s reps part. What’s curious about this news is that it broke on The Hollywood Reporter at 6:55 am Pacific time, which is an odd time of the morning to release a major news story. THR’s “sources” could have very well been Cavill’s reps.
Further muddying that waters are rumors that WB wants to move in a different direction and cast a black actor in the role, specifically Michael B. Jordan. This is either a desperate attempt to recreate the success of Marvel’s Black Panther, or more contract games. Either way, this further exemplifies how horrible Warner Bros. has handled the DC Cinematic Universe.