REPORT: Henry Cavill is Out as Superman in the DCEU!

REPORT: Henry Cavill is out as Superman in the DCEU!

After dying and being resurrected onscreen in the DCEU, it appears that Henry Cavill’s Superman is dead again at Warner Bros. Pictures. The Hollywood Reporter brings the sad word that Cavill is out after negotiations for a cameo in April’s Shazam! broke down due to scheduling conflicts, which happened prior to his commitment to the Netflix series The Witcher. Warners has decided to part ways the British actor, who has played the role of Kal-El in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.

Neither the studio nor Cavill has made an official statement yet, but according to the report the studio is shifting focus to a Supergirl movie, which will not require Superman. There are also no plans for a solo Superman film until years down the road. Persistent rumors state that Batman actor Ben Affleck is also on the outs with the studio, and that he will not appear in Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman. Fellow Justice Leaguers Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman 1984), Jason Momoa (Aquaman) and Ezra Miller (upcoming The Flash movie) are still reportedly onboard for future installments. Rumors had posited that Cavill’s Superman was to potentially be a lynchpin to the DCEU the same way Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury was for Marvel Studios, although that idea may now be scrapped. It’s also possible that a Shazam! cameo will act as a launching pad for the replacement Superman actor.

“Superman is like James Bond, and after a certain run you have to look at new actors,” says an unnamed studio insider. “There’s a recognition that some parts of the previous movies didn’t work.”

Stay tuned to ComingSoon.net for more as this story develops!

We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s (Angel) case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong).

The cast includes Asher Angel (Andi Mack) as Billy Batson, Djimon Hounsou (Guardians of the Galaxy) as The Wizard, and Mark Strong (Kingsman) in the role of Super-Villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. The film also stars Jack Dylan Grazer (IT) as Billy’s best friend and ultimate superhero enthusiast, Freddy, part of the foster family that includes Mary, played by Grace Fulton (Annabelle: Creation); Darla, played by Faithe Herman (This is Us); Eugene, played by Ian Chen (Fresh Off the Boat); and Pedro, played by Jovan Armand (Hawaii Five-0). Cooper Andrews (The Walking Dead) and Marta Milans (Killer Women) play foster parents Victor and Rosa Vasquez.

David F. Sandberg is directing for New Line Cinema. The Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation director will step behind the camera with Peter Safran producing. Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke wrote the script for Shazam!

Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, Shazam first appeared in Fawcett Comics’ Whiz Comics #2. By saying the world “Shazam,” teenager Billy Batson was transformed into the “world’s mightiest mortal” and given extraordinary abilities by ancient gods.

Shazam! will debut in theaters on April 5, 2019.