It’s safe to say the DC Extended Universe is in the middle of a major overhaul underneath the new co-chairs Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn and Peter Safran.
A few weeks ago, it was announced that Wonder Woman 3 had been cancelled, after Patty Jenkins presented a script that didn’t align with the new vision for the character. It came only days after Gal Gadot posted on Instagram about how excited she was to return to the role.
The latest causality is none other than Superman himself, Henry Cavill, who has been victim to the U-turn at the studios and has confirmed he will no longer reprise his role as Clark Kent, as they will tell a story about a younger version of the character.
It comes after Henry officially announced his return in October, after that bombshell cameo in the Black Adam post-credit scene. The actor also left his role in Netfli x’s The Witcher, which many fans thought would indicate he would have a bigger commitment with DC again.
The changes are part of the cuts the new directors and having to make, as their parent company Warner Brothers merges with Discovery Inc.
What does this mean for the future of the franchise and are any of the other scheduled projects cancelled or in jeopardy?
Who will not return to the DC universe?
Henry issued a heartfelt statement on Instagram where he admitted it “isn’t’ the easiest” news to hear that he wouldn’t return to his favourite role, but “that’s life.”
“I will, after all, not be returning as Superman,” Cavill wrote. “After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life.
“The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.”
He said that he would “mourn” with fans for a while, but the character will live on, as he added: “My turn to wear the cape has passed, but what Superman stands for never will. It’s been a fun ride with you all, onwards and upwards.”
However, Henry Cavill fans rejoiced over the weekend as he announced his "lifelong dream" project, that he is an executive-producer of the brand new Warhammer live-action universe (notably his favourite gaming franchise) in partnership with Amazon prime.
Will there be a new Wonder Woman movie?
Gal has not confirmed or denied any details about whether she will return as Princess Diana, or if there will be a third Wonder Woman film.
The Wrap reported that Patty walked away from the project, after being at the helm for the first two movies, however she has taken to Twitter to set the record straight with fans.
She penned: “When there started being backlash about WW3 not happening, the attractive clickbait false story that it was me that killed it or walked away started to spread.”
She stated: “This is simply not true. I never walked away. I was open to considering anything asked of me. It was my understanding that there was nothing I could do to move anything forward at this time. DC is obviously buried in changes they are having to make, so I understand these decisions are difficult right now.”
“I do not want what has been a beautiful journey with WW to land on negative note. I have loved and been so honoured to be the person who got to make these last two Wonder Woman films.
"She is an incredible character. Living in and around her values makes one a better person every day. I wish her and her legacy an amazing future ahead, with or without me.”
The Monster director praised the original Wonder Woman star, Lynda Carter as an “absolute legend” before she praised her lead actor Gal and said she was “the greatest gift I have received in this whole journey. A cherished friend, inspiration, and sister.”
Have any other upcoming DC movies been cancelled?
It seems difficult to say for certain that any of the upcoming movies and set for a 2024 release will happen such as Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle and the Aquaman sequel, The Lost Kingdom.
The Flash has already been under intense scrutiny as Ezra Miller was originally the lead actor in the movie, but was involved in a string of legal controversies.
While all of these movies are all in post-production, it seems that anything could happen to the cast and movie line-up that was outlined before James and Peter reimagined the universe.
What has been confirmed about the future of the DCEU?
Marvel director James is set to write the new Superman movie (but it is not an origin story) and it has not been confirmed who is on board to direct.
He shared the news about Henry’s departure and teased the future of the DCEU with his 1.4 million followers over Twitter.
“Peter and I have a 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 began in a thread of tweets.
“Among those on the slate is Superman…. The character will not be played by Henry Cavil.”
He added: “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.”
He also revealed that they met with former Batman actor Ben Affleck about directing an upcoming movie. He tweeted: “Met with Ben yesterday precisely because he wants to direct & we want him to direct; we just have to find the right project.”
How have fans reacted to the u-turn in the DC Universe?
It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for DC fans who have gone from celebrating the return of the beloved Henry as Superman, to having it taken away only weeks later.
Not all fans are on-board with the new direction and are disappointed that the co-chairs have retracted this decision.
“I think it’s a huge mistake not having Henry Cavill as Superman,” one fan tweeted, as another agreed: “Henry Cavill is Superman… it makes sense that James Gunn wants a blank slate for the DCEU, but you just got Cavill to come back and then you dismiss him. Yikes.”
A passionate fan wrote: “Every f****** DC movie fan on the planet: We want Henry Cavill as Superman. WB: Let’s hire someone completely new and upset all the fans for no f****** reason.”
A fourth said about the Spider-Man recasting: “I thought Andrew Garfield got it bad, but damn Henry Cavill got it worse, still hoping he gets a comeback.”
While others called for rival competitor Marvel to cast The Witcher actor as a “lead role in the franchise. Sincerely, literally every human on the planet.”
