Guardians of the Galaxy director and DC Studios’ new co-chairman, James Gunn, is writing a Superman movie that won’t involve the actor Henry Cavill, who said it was “not the easiest news” after he only recently announced that he would be returning to the role.
The new Superman film penned by Gunn will take the character in a different direction and focus on the superhero’s younger years. The announcement comes amid momentous change at DC Studios and parent company Warner Brothers, which has been slashing scores of projects to cut costs after merging with Discovery, Inc.
Cavill has played Superman since the 2013 film Man of Steel and last appeared in the role in a cameo in Black Adam earlier this year. In October, after resigning from the lead role in Netflix show The Witcher, he announced he would be returning to play Superman again.
On Wednesday, Cavill wrote on Instagram that Gunn and his co-chair, Peter Safran, had met with him to deliver the news.
“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.”
