In October, Henry Cavill announced that he would not be reprising the role of Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher days after announcing he would be returning to his role as Superman. Although it was never confirmed, it is believed that Cavill's departure from The Witcher was related to his reprisal as Superman. In an announcement that surprised fans of the DC Extended Universe, Cavill announced on Instagram earlier this week that he has been let go as the Man of Steel. The Instagram post made it clear that the decision was in the hands of newly appointed DC Studios CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. Cavill stated further that the news "wasn't the easiest" and added, "The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build."
A universe to build. An ironic choice of words considering that the DCEU began with 2013's Man of Steel. In a tweet posted by Gunn on December 14, Gunn stated that the movie that will be produced in place of the film that would have starred Cavill would not be an origin story but would be a movie about a younger Superman in his early days at the Daily Planet. The result of the character Gunn is penning, therefore, necessitates a younger actor for the lead. But is a telling of Superman's early days in the Daily Planet necessary, particularly at the expense of a fan favorite in Cavill?
The Many Iterations of Superman
Superman is one of the oldest popular superheroes in existence, and the telling of his origin story in film goes as far back as the 1950s. Superman's story begins with Adventures of Superman, a TV series that originally aired in 1952 in black and white. Adventures of Superman began with Superman's birth on Krypton, goes into his childhood, then his employment at the Daily Planet and double-life as Superman. Adventures of Superman aired for six years before getting canceled.
The legendary Superman (1978), starring the late Christopher Reeve, was written by The Godfather author Mario Puzo and served as a blueprint for future superhero origin stories. It follows the same underlying storyline as Adventures of Superman, and was met with enormous success. It was nominated for four Academy Awards and won one for Best Editing. The legacy Superman left is what set the standard for superhero movies as we know them today. Essentially, Superman walked so the DCEU and MCU could run. The Superman film series would go on to have several sequels.
The 1990s saw Lois & Clark and Superman: The Animated Series, while the early 2000s saw Smallville, starring Tom Welling as Clark Kent. Smallville was about Clark Kent's origin but focused instead on his teenage years. Finally, in 2006, Superman Returns was released, directed by Bryan Singer and starring Brandon Routh as Superman. Superman Returns does not go into detail on Superman's origins but does act as a sequel to 1978's Superman and 1980's Superman II.
This brings us back to Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, which tells the story of Superman's origin and is the origin of the DC Extended Universe as we know it. Each version of Superman that addresses the origin story presents a similar story with different sides or reimagining. Many of which already touches on his early days at the Daily Planet.
How Far is Too Far?
Aside from Cavill being a fan favorite, part of the surprise of his departure from The Man of Steel came from the release of Black Adam. Black Adam features a cameo of Cavill as Superman, which seemed to promise a future for him as The Last Son of Krypton. In response to a comment on Instagram, Gunn stated, "Everything with Black Adam happened before I was around." Gunn and Safran were named CEOs of DC in October of this year.
Regarding the "universe" aspect of the DCEU, it's speculated that the release of Cavill as Superman indicates a reboot by Gunn and Safran. This reboot may include the axing of other familiar faces and names in the DCEU. With Jason Momoa's future as Aquaman in the balance and Wonder Woman 3 being stricken, a reboot for the DCEU seems clear. However, given the lack of approval for many of the DCEU's projects, a reboot could be a refreshing change.
The world as a whole are not strangers to cinematic universes. In fact, cinematic universes have become so pervasive in film that it's nearly impossible to avoid. The DCEU currently has 13 movies and one TV show, with 14 upcoming projects, making it relatively easy to unearth the meta plot. Of course, one cannot talk about cinematic universes without mentioning the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially considering that both DC and Marvel are home to the most famous superheroes ever written. As of right now, there are 40 projects that make up the MCU, and it has to be noted that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is so incredibly convoluted in this phase that attempting to trace the overarching storyline can feel like a chore.
Cinematic universes that include meta plots don't necessarily end with the MCU or the DCEU. Rick and Morty, a laughably self-aware show, gives us a satire of a meta plot that has also become a twisted and confusing web, but that's all a part of its charm. The awareness of the Rick and Morty metaverse at moments feels like a well-deserved jab at the knotted and far-stretching story that the MCU has become post-Endgame, but is that a cause for concern? At what point might the MCU devolve into a shadow of its former greatness, and is that a concern for the future of the DCEU as well?
There is something to be said about quality versus quantity in a cinematic universe, but that's not to be discussed today. Whatever the future may be, Henry Cavill will be greatly missed as Superman and there are talks of his continued future in the DCEU. One thing is for sure: if Peacemaker or James Gunn's The Suicide Squad are any sign of what's to come, the future of the DCEU should be exciting.