We’ve been saying for a while Henry Cavill might not be done as Superman and a new rumor says he is returning to the red cape if Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson has a say.
Grace Randolph, who’s been on top of all things Superman at Warner Bros. as of late, is saying Johnson “does want that fight, and he wants Cavill” for the sequel. The big motivator is they are repped by the same person, The Rock’s ex-wife, Dany Garcia.
Related: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Announces Black Adam Release Date
Randolph’s claim was in a tweet replying to a question. You can see it below. The other Twitter user believes Garcia is telling Cavill not to get involved with the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement and play ball with WB.
I’m hearing Superman wouldn’t show up until Black Adam 2 – but The Rock does want that fight, and he wants Cavill of course becomes Dany reps him
— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) November 19, 2019
Garcia is also Johnson’s manager and business partner. The two co-founded Seven Bucks Productions and, through that company, co-produced Shazam! and work together on most of The Rock’s movies.
Cavill signed on as Garcia’s client in 2016 when the future looked bright for his Superman on the big screen. Unfortunately, since Justice League, that momentum has cooled off and a future solo picture with Cavill as Superman is on hold.
A stuntman stood in for Cavill when Superman cameoed in Shazam! – a move reports blamed on a contract dispute. The official story is scheduling was the real reason. Cavill was filming Mission: Impossible Fallout and couldn’t make the trip. This was recently reiterated in a feature article on Cavill by Men’s Health.
“Cavill almost reprised his Superman role for a blip-sized cameo in this year’s Shazam! but says he couldn’t do it because of his Fallout schedule.”
Last year, false reports emerged Cavill was leaving over contractual issues. Friends such as Jason Momoa and others contradicted those stories, saying he was still attached to Superman and “100%” committed.
Cavill finally spoke on his status himself, saying, “The cape is in the closet. It’s still mine.” Here is more of what he had to say to Men’s Health this week:
“I’m not going to sit quietly in the dark as all the stuff is going on. I’ve not given up on the role. There’s a lot I have to give for Superman yet. A lot of storytelling to do. A lot of real, true depths to the honest of the character I wasn’t to get into. I want to reflect the comic books. That’s important to me. There’s a lot of justice to be done for Superman. The status is: You’ll see.”
He also critiqued his three outings as Superman. Justice League ranked the lowest in Cavill’s mind, possibly saying something about the distance he’s allegedly keeping from the Snyder Cut fervor:
“[Man of Steel?] A great starting point. If I were to go back, I don’t think I’d change anything. [Batman v Superman?] Very much a Batman movie. And I think that realm of darkness is great for a Batman movie. [Justice League?] It didn’t work.”
Related: Gal Gadot Throws Her Support Behind the Release of Justice League’s Snyder Cut
Grace Randolph commented on the interview. She wrote on Twitter Cavill is Superman until WB recasts, adding he “should’ve done” the Shazam! cameo. Check out her post below:
#HenryCavill will say he’s #Superman until the day #WarnerBros recasts.
As he should. Because it ain’t over until that day.
Buuuuut he also should’ve done that #Shazam cameo.
We’ll see… If you want him to stay in the #DCEU, be sure to tweet about #TheWitcher a bunch! pic.twitter.com/U3goN36HY7
— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) November 19, 2019
A takeover of the Superman franchise by JJ Abrams – another story broken by Randolph – could be imminent and may mean we get a new Man of Steel. His take could be standalone, existing in a separate universe like Joker, and leave room for Johnson and Cavill to do their own thing.
But it remains to be seen if Warner Bros. will allow two cinematic versions of Superman at the same time, one older than another. Since they are relaunching Batman with Robert Pattinson and not bringing Ben Affleck back, my guess is there will be only one silver-screen Supes.
Related: Rumor: Henry Cavill Out as Superman – J.J. Abrams Will Look to Recast with Younger Actor
Regardless, judging by social media and Dwayne Johnson’s comments in his Black Adam announcement, he and Henry Cavill want an eventual confrontation between Black Adam and the Man of Tomorrow. Wrote Johnson on Instagram accompanied by a poster drawn by Jim Lee:
Related: Report: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Wants Superman in Black Adam Movie!
Not only did The Rock compare Black Adam to Superman, but previous reports indicate he’s been been very vocal about wanting the two DC Comics titans to face off against each other with Cavill portraying Superman.
Black Adam will begin production next summer. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, it’s aimed for a Dec. 2021 release.
Do you want Cavill to stay Superman and tangle with Black Adam? Leave a comment.