Henry Cavill Is Reportedly Done With Superman, Making Room For A New Man Of Steel

Superman may be faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive, but now the latest iteration of the Man of Steel is preparing to hang up his cape once and for all. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Henry Cavill will no longer play Superman in any D.C. movies moving forward. As of now, neither Warner Bros. nor Cavill have commented on the report, but sources assure THR that the British actor is stepping away from the role from here on out. (Bustle has reached out to Cavill's reps, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.)

UPDATE: Warner Bros. issued a statement in response to the report, reported by the AP, which is as follows: "While no decisions have been made regarding any upcoming Superman films, we've always had great respect for and a great relationship with Henry Cavill, and that remains unchanged."

EARLIER: Cavill first stepped into the red and blue superhero suit all the way back in 2013 for the film Man of Steel. This was later followed up by his showdown with Ben Affleck's Batman in 2016's Batman v. Superman, and then he not-so-surprisingly popped up in last year's Justice League for what was probably the worst kept secret role in the DC Universe. And, unfortunately, that may be the very last portrayal of Clark Kent that Cavill will ever give to the world.

So how did this all come about, exactly? THR reports that Warner Bros. had been trying to convince Cavill to make a cameo as Superman in Shazam!, which is slated to hit theaters on April 5, 2019. However, contract negotiations between Cavill's reps and the studio have allegedly fallen apart due to scheduling conflicts. Considering the fact that Cavill just recently signed up to star in the Netflix series The Witcher, it's easy to see how something like that could happen, leading to the conclusion that Cavill's Superman appearances may be numbered. (Though it's unclear exactly, if this report is true, when Cavill and Superman parted ways. So he could very well have been cast in The Witcher after ending contract negotiations with Warner Bros.)

However, Cavill's alleged exit doesn't mean all Super-related franchises are coming to a halt. THR reported that the studio is now shifting most of its focus to the Supergirl movie that is currently in the works. But in regards to any hopes of Cavill starring in another solo Superman film, a source told THR that a solo film wasn't planned for several years, and with this news, it looks like Clark Kent will look very different when he does eventually return to the big screen. "Superman is like James Bond, and after a certain run you have to look at new actors," the source explained to the outlet.

Of course, it's no secret that DC comics adaptations have hit a few speed bumps since Christopher Nolan's Batman movies came to a close. Man of Steel and Batman vs. Superman weren't particularly adored by critics or fans, and The Justice League reviews were particularly brutal. Woman Woman, which went on to break box office records, seems to be the exception. So maybe Warner Bros. will use Cavill's exit as a chance to wipe the slate clean and give a fresh start to the Man of Steel's story.

Thankfully, there are still a lot of superhero movies for fans to look forward to in the coming months and year. Aside from the planned Supergirl movie, Aquaman, starring Game of Thrones vet Jason Momoa, is set to come out this December, while Wonder Woman 2 is scheduled to hit theaters in November 2019. Then there's the highly anticipated Flash movie, starring Ezra Miller, that is expected to start shooting sometime in early 2019.

So regardless of how you feel about Cavill's reported departure, just take comfort in knowing that the DC franchises aren't going anywhere anytime soon.