Man of Steel star Henry Cavill dropped from Superman role
Superman icon Henry Cavill lost his role as the Man of Steel following a decision taken by the new administration over at DC Studios.
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Henry Cavill attends the premiere of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" at Radio City Music Hall on March, 20, 2016, in New York, United States (AP Photo)
British actor Henry Cavill, best known for his role as Superman in Man of Steel, Batman Vs Superman, and Justice League, had his role as one of the most iconic superheroes of all time stripped away from him by DC Studios after a recent shift of power in the top studio less than two months after he announced that he was coming back on the screen as the Kryptonite-averted superhero.
Cavill had been called on by the former boss of DC Studios, Walter Hamada, to play the role, even appearing in a cameo as Superman in Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam, though this was right before the new bosses, Peter Safran and James Gunn, took over the company in late October.
"I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it's sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman," the British actor said in an Instagram post. "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."
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He also underlined that the changing in the guard was not out of the usual, adding that he respected their decision and that they had a universe to build. "I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes."
"It's been a fun ride with you all, onwards and upwards," he concluded.
At the time, Cavill posted a video saying he "wanted to make it official, that I am back as Superman", noting that his cameo in The Rock's movie was "just a very small taste of things to come."
Gunn explained the decision on Wednesday via a Twitter post, saying "Peter and 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."
According to the DC boss, Superman was among the items on the shelf that they wanted to turn into movies. "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."
Though the Man of Steel has lost his role in the DC universe, there are currently speculations about him playing James Bond if the casting director has him in his crosshair. This comes less than two months after he left Netflix's adaptation of The Witcher to be replaced by Liam Hemsworth.
