It's not Kryptonite that will end Henry Cavill's run as Warner Bros.' grimdark Superman; it's a studio pivot.
Cavill is Bayoreportedly finished as the Man of Steel, with unnamed studio insiders telling The Hollywood Reporterthat he won't be donning the signature DC Comics superhero's cape and tights again. It's said to be part of a larger move aimed at fixing WB's flagging DC Extended Universe (DCEU).
SEE ALSO: DC confirms a huge 'Superman' character will appear in its crossover eventThe rumored exit apparently started with a much smaller disagreement: The studio wanted Cavill for a cameo in the upcoming Shazam!, out April 5, 2019. But talks between WB and the actor's reps didn't go anywhere.
Beyond that, the studio also understands that bigger changes are needed. To date, the only universally successful DC-pegged release was 2017's Wonder Woman, which landed both with critics and at the box office.
As one insider said, "There's a recognition that some parts of the previous movies didn't work." (LOL at that understatement.) So now, WB is trying to hit "reset" (per another source) on the whole endeavor.
That reset reportedly includes a shift in focus from Superman to Supergirl. That movie would serve as an origin story, starring a teenage hero. Superman may well return to the big screen, but not for an unstated number of years. The studio apparently views him as a James Bond-type, a character that's meant to be inhabited over time by an assortment of actors.
Ben Affleck is also reportedly "a hero on the way out," according to the same THRreport. The possibility that the Batman actor wouldn't return to the DCEU has been floated before, and it seems that's more certain now.
This unexpected (admittedly unconfirmed) news creates a tricky situation for WB and its current slate of DC movies. An Aquamansolo movie is coming in December, and then Shazam!and Wonder Woman 1984are both locked and loaded for 2019 releases. WB also apparently still intends to start work on a solo Flash movie early next year.
You would think Cavill's exit complicates those plans, but how the studio intends to address the larger DC cinematic universe story remains to be seen.
Fans were generally unimpressed with the grimdark take on Superman (and DC as a whole) that series producer, writer, and director Zack Snyder shepherded into existence. That vision originated with Snyder's 2013 origin story, Man of Steel. It's fitting, then, that Cavill's exit also seems to tie into a creative shift for the overall series.
Meanwhile, Cavill is having a great 2018. He's just coming off an electric performance in the summertime smash hit, Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Then, just last week, we learned -- though it's still not technically confirmed -- that he's set to star in a Netflix adaptation of the popular video game and book series, The Witcher.
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