Dwayne Johnson Allegedly Had Big Plans For Henry Cavill's Superman Before The DC Studios Shakeup
2022's "Black Adam" boasts a stacked roster of iconic DC characters that all come with long histories on the page. Although, the majority didn't surprise anyone since the likes of Black Adam (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), and more were heavily involved in the marketing of the feature. On the other hand, there were a few unexpected cameos throughout that kept audiences on their toes — chief among them being Henry Cavill, who made his triumphant return to the DC Universe in the role of Superman during the post-credits sequence.
Cavill's Superman return in "Black Adam" was a welcomed surprise for those who love his incarnation of the character, and, naturally, it didn't take folks long to look toward the future. Speculation began to run rampant over what the future of Cavill's "Man of Steel" would look like. Sadly, as they learned on December 14, 2022, that future would be a pretty bleak one. As DC Studios prepares to reboot much of the DC Universe, Cavill is now no longer attached to the role of Superman, which he and DC Studios figurehead James Gunn each confirmed via social media.
Henry Cavill's goodbye comes due to a shift in the creative vision for the DC film franchise. However, had this change in direction not come to pass, Dwayne Johnson would've supposedly taken Cavill's Superman to great heights.
Sources claim a second Man of Steel movie was in the plans
According to The Hollywood Reporter, before James Gunn and Peter Safran came along to revise the muddled, disorganized DC film slate and the continuity within it, big plans were allegedly in place for Henry Cavill's take on Superman. The publication notes that in addition to a potential big-screen showdown between Superman and Black Adam, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy wanted to get a "Man of Steel 2" off the ground. To make it happen, they reportedly wanted Steven Knight of "Peaky Blinders" fame to write the treatment — one that would've featured famous Superman villain Brainiac in a prominent role.
As things stand right now, it's highly unlikely that this supposed plan will ever become a reality. In addition to Gunn stating his desire to cast a younger Superman actor, it seems as though efforts are being made to clean up any remnant of Cavill's Superman from the former DC Extended Universe — now simply the DC Universe. It has come to light that he may have had a cameo in the upcoming Flash (Ezra Miller) solo movie that has since been removed entirely. Nevertheless, at least Cavill was well compensated for his troubles, raking in a cool $250,000 a piece for his "Flash" and "Black Adam" guest spots.
Henry Cavill's Superman had all the potential in the world, but it seems it will never be properly realized. At least he has a "Warhammer 40,000" adaptation to keep himself busy for a while.