Yesterday, it was revealed that Henry Cavill is currently in talks to return to the DC film universe as Superman in a limited capacity. We knew it wasn’t going to be in “Man of Steel 2,” but perhaps the character would be used like Marvel Studios uses The Hulk, as a good supporting character that fans adore but don’t necessarily need a solo film? Well, it appears that Cavill’s potential appearance in a future DC film might be even more limited than that.
According to a new tweet from Justin Kroll, a Variety reporter that is rarely wrong about these things, Cavill’s involvement in the future DC superhero films is not nearly as major as fans might be hoping for.
“Cavill’s return is only a cameo and would likely have him appearing in a film where he has previous ties with title character (AQUAMAN, SHAZAM). Sources say not for BLACK ADAM or WW. New MAN OF STEEL film still way off with no certainty Henry would return to star,” he tweeted.
Basically, it sounds as if maybe Cavill’s appearance in a future film might be similar to what was shown in last year’s “Shazam!” but without his head being out of frame. Maybe in the sequel, we’ll actually see his face? Or perhaps Aquaman will need reinforcements in that sequel and call in Supes for backup? Right now, it’s unclear. But what is known is that it won’t be a major role and it won’t likely be in Dwayne Johnson’s “Black Adam” feature and the upcoming “Wonder Woman 1984.”
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But perhaps the most troubling aspect of the update is that Cavill’s cameo isn’t necessarily laying the groundwork for a return in a “Man of Steel” sequel film, as the report claims that the actor is guaranteed to star in that film. Also, it appears that the solo adventures of Superman are still quite a ways off.
Pure speculation here, but we could be looking at a situation where WB wants to make sure the perceived goodwill surrounding Cavill’s portrayal of Superman isn’t just with a small minority of vocal fans on social media and is more emblematic of what general audiences think. Because if he shows up in “Shazam 2” and people lose their minds with how great he is, then you better believe WB will do whatever it takes to get Cavill to return for a new solo film. But maybe he shows up in a future film and people just shrug their shoulders and the buzz doesn’t increase at all. Then maybe that Michael B. Jordan rumor/speculation isn’t such a far-fetched idea, huh?
Regardless, Cavill’s days as Superman don’t seem to be over just yet. We’ll just have to wait and see how long it lasts.
Here’s the Superman cameo from last year’s “Shazam!”:
