Twitter Is Super Upset That Henry Cavill Won't Be In The Next Superman Movie

Superman may be taking flight again soon but it will no longer be Henry Cavill wearing his cape. The actor first took on the role in 2013’s Man of Steel, followed by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Though Cavill’s DC Universe trajectory seemed to be on an incline, in 2018, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Cavill wouldn’t be returning as the hero in future franchises.

So it tickled fans that, years later, Cavill shared that he would be returning to Superman’s spandex. He made the announcement on Instagram after his cameo as Clark Kent in Black Adam’s credits in October. “I wanted to make it official, that I am back as Superman,” Cavill said in a video post.

The (reprised) role came with a hefty tradeoff, however. A week after the news, Cavill announced that he would be leaving Netflix’s The Witcher. Cavill played the monster-slaying hero Geralt of Rivia for three seasons and will be replaced by Hunger Games alum Liam Hemsworth moving forward, which didn’t sit well with longtime fans of the show and original novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. While Cavill didn’t disclose the reason behind his Witcher exit, fans speculated that the recasting has something to do with the Superman role.

Unfortunately, things aren’t going as planned for Cavill and those dying to see him back in DC. On Dec.14, Cavill made an Instagram announcement that he is no longer returning as Superman.

“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,” he wrote on his account just months after he posted the announcement. “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.”

Still, he reminded fans that the actor may change, but the hero will not. “Superman is still around. Everything he stands for still exists,” he added. The announcement was met with an outpour of love and support including a comment from fellow DC superhero Jason Momoa, who plays Aquaman. “love u brother,” Momoa wrote.

Meanwhile, filmmaker and new DC Studios’ new co-chairman James Gunn took to Twitter to explain the sudden shake-up. “Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about,” he began in a series of tweets. “Among those on the slate is Superman. 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.”

He added, “But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.” As of writing, there is no actor named to take up the Clark Kent cape.

Twitter, it seems, is lived over this new development. (There’s even a Change.org petition to rehire Cavill.) One user asked, “are u telling me we lost henry cavill as geralt for NOTHING????”

Though Gunn implied there were “exciting possibilities” to work with Cavill, some users think DC did Cavill dirty.

Twitter also poked fun at Hemsworth, implying that his new role as Geralt in Season 4 of The Witcher may be in a precarious position since Cavill is available again.

Meanwhile, some Twitter users pointed out that Cavill’s unexpected freedom should make room for him to take on other iconic roles, including a certain 007 agent. Daniel Craig is famously stepping away from playing James Bond, with his replacement still unknown.

Could it be Cavill? That’s what some users hope. “But this means Henry Cavill can finally play James Bond, right?” user @stephenseanford asks.

Though they’re devastated, some users are still holding on to hope that Cavill still ends up in the DC universe, perhaps as a different hero. One user tweeted, “Wouldn’t mind if he took over the role of Batman in the new DCU.”

Meanwhile, others said that DC’s loss could be Marvel’s gain. “F*** it if Henry Cavill can’t be Superman he should be a goated MCU character,” user @yungdopesaiyan wrote.

Only time will tell.