Rumor: Henry Cavill Out as Superman – J.J. Abrams Will Look to Recast with Younger Actor

A new rumor indicates Henry Cavill is out as Superman as J.J. Abrams will look to cast a younger actor.

The rumor comes from Matt McGloin at Cosmic Book News, who writes, “I’ve been told that Abrams will take on Superman and Green Lantern first and that he will recast with a younger Superman.” McGloin’s source tells him, “Superman can’t be older than Batman.” (Related: Rumor: J.J. Abrams and Warner Bros are Having a “Conversation” About a Superman Movie)

And with Robert Pattinson being cast as Batman, Batman would be three years younger than Henry Cavill’s Superman. Pattinson is 33 years old and Cavill is 36 years old. For reference, Hugh Jackman was 31 when he first starred as Wolverine in the first X-Men film back in 2000. He last played Logan at the age of 48.

Cavill was rumored to be out as Superman in September of last year in a story from The Hollywood Reporter. Those rumors pointed to negotiations between Cavill and Warner Bros. breaking down. One of THR’s sources indicated Cavill took on Netflix’s The Witcher after negotiations broke down. They also indicated that Warner Bros. was looking to shift focus to Supergirl movie and thus Cavill’s age would somehow be a problem. (Related: Report: Henry Cavill to Exit Role of Superman)

Warner Bros. would eventually respond to the rumors in a statement:

“While no decisions have been made regarding any upcoming Superman films, we’ve always had great respect for and a great relationship with Henry Cavill, and that remains unchanged.”

And Cavill’s agent Dany Garcia indicated he would still be playing Superman.

Warner Bros. Passes on Superman Film from Cavill and McQuarrie

However, that was in September of last year and things seem to have drastically shifted with Warner Bros. direction for the DCEU. Mission Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie revealed that both he and Cavill had pitched a Superman film to Warner Bros. that they passed on.

In a now-deleted tweet from July, which can seen on Batman News, McQuarrie wrote:

“Too complicated to explain. It tied into the Superman movie that Cavill and I were proposing. No takers.

The studios have never cared for my original ideas. They prefer that I fix their broken ones.”

McQuarrie added in a subsequent tweet that Warner Bros. never contacted him after pitching both the Green Lantern and Superman movies:

“They never said no. They just never moved on it. This was just before Fallout was released. And no, I would not reconsider. There’s too many other things I want to do.”

DC Extended Universe Soft Reboot

Not only did Warner Bros. pass on the Superman and Green Lantern films, but they appear to be working on a soft reboot of the DCEU after the lackluster Justice League film.

In fact, Suicide Squad producer Peter Safran declared James Gunn’s upcoming Suicide Squad film as a “total reboot.” Safran told Jo Blo, “First of all, we don’t call it Suicide Squad 2 ‘cause it’s a total reboot, so it’s The Suicide Squad and I think people should be extremely excited about it.” (Related: Producer Peter Safran: James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad Is “Total Reboot”)

However, the Suicide Squad will feature a number of returning actors and characters including Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag Jr., and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. (Related: James Gunn Reveals Massive Cast List for Suicide Squad That Includes Idris Elba, John Cena, and Margot Robbie)

With a number of actors returning it leads one to believe DC isn’t scrapping everything. In fact, Cosmic Book News reports the DC Extended Universe is undergoing a soft reboot indicated by the casting of Robert Pattinson as Batman and the recent reports of Jeffrey Wright as the new Jim Gordon.

Not only does it look like a soft reboot, but J.J. Abrams and his production company Bad Robot recently signed a reported 5-year $250 million exclusive deal with WarnerMedia. The Hollywood Reporter indicates the deal covers film and TV as well as video games and other digital content.

Cavill’s Future

Cavill will play Geralt of Rivia in Netflix upcoming The Witcher adaptation. He will also play Sherlock Holmes in the upcoming Enola Holmes film. He’s also slated to play Ryan Enright in the upcoming Squadron 42 video game.

It’s more than likely he will continue his role as Geralt for quite a bit. A rumor indicates Netflix has already renewed the show for three full seasons.

What do you make of this rumor? Do you think Cavill is out as Superman?