Henry Cavill has been dropped as Superman after leaving The Witcher

15 December 2022, 16:41

Henry Cavill announces his return as Superman

By Sam Prance

Henry Cavill will no longer be playing the role of Clark Kent in the DC universe.

Henry Cavill has revealed that he won't play Superman again just months after stating that he would return as the character.

In October, Henry Cavill announced that he would be taking on the role of Superman again just over five years after he last played Clark Kent. Taking to Instagram, Henry said: "I wanted to make it official that I am back as Superman. I wanted to thank you guys most of all. Thank you for your support. Thank you for your patience. I promise it will be rewarded."

Just days later Henry revealed that he would no longer be playing the role of Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher and that Liam Hemsworth would be taking over from him in season 4. He wrote: "I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam's take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men."

READ MORE: Over 200,000 The Witcher fans sign petition to keep Henry Cavill and replace the writers

Now, Henry has explained that, in spite of what he previously said, DC have decided not to bring him back as Superman.

Why is Henry Cavill not returning as Superman?

In a new statement, Henry wrote: "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. 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."

He continued: "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."

Henry added: "For those who have been by my side through the years, we can mourn for a bit, but then we must remember, Superman is still around. Everything he stands for still exists and the examples he sets for us are still there! My turn to wear the cape has passed, but what Superman stands for never will."

He ended by saying: "It's been a fun ride with you all, onwards and upwards."

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A post shared by Henry Cavill (@henrycavill)

Reacting to the news, fans have expressed their upset over the fact that Henry is now no longer playing both Superman and Geralt of Rivia. One fan tweeted: "I’m heartbroken for Henry Cavill. This man truly loved playing this character and he had his own hopes and dreams for what he wanted to accomplish with Superman on the big screen. We love you Henry."

Another person wrote: "Henry Cavill loved The Witcher but he clearly wanted the studio to respect the book material and it must have disappointed him to see them mock it. He ended up eventually leaving it behind for Superman only for DC to drop him again within 2 months. This man deserved better."

Following Henry's statement, James Gunn tweeted: "Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year."

He continued: "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."

James wrote: "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 it stands, it's unclear who will play Superman in James and Peter's upcoming DC film. We shall update you as soon as we know more.

What do you think? Will you miss Henry as Superman?

READ MORE: Henry Cavill reacts to being the original choice to play Edward Cullen in Twilight

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