DC Studios boss James Gunn recently clarified why actor Henry Cavill will not be returning to the role of Superman for his upcoming film about the superhero.
Henry Cavill as Superman in Man of Steel (2013), Warner Bros. Pictures
Gunn announced on December 14th, “Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year.”
James Gunn Twitter
“Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill,” he declared.
James Gunn Twitter
Gunn then added, “But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.”
James Gunn Twitter
In response to a query by a fan as to why Cavill is being recast, Gunn responded, “As I said yesterday, it is very simple, he’s a different age.”
James Gunn Twitter
When challenged by another user that Gunn was making an origin story, he denied it writing, “Also as I said yesterday, I am definitely not doing an origin story.”
James Gunn Twitter
After being challenged by the user again, Gunn would then reveal that Superman’s “not meeting the major characters for the first time, either. He’s merely younger.”
James Gunn Twitter
Gunn would also provide more details about his plans for the DCU.
In response to one user’s query about Batman, Gunn confirmed the character will play a major role in his DCU plans writing, “He’s a big part of the DCU.”
James Gunn Twitter
Gunn also revealed that his DCU plans will not be solely focused on major DC Comics characters like Superman and Batman, but will also explore lesser known characters.
He tweeted, “We’ll be focusing on the most well-known and some lesser known characters simultaneously.”
James Gunn Twitter
Cavil is only 39 years old. So it’s more than likely Gunn, Peter Safran, and DC Studios will be looking to cast someone in their early 20s for their Superman film.
What do you make of Gunn’s explanation as to why Cavill is out?