Is Warner Bros. Recasting Superman For New Movie?

Warner Brothers may be looking to fill a Big Blue void.

According to We Got This Covered, unnamed "inside sources" are reporting that not only is Henry Cavill done with the role of Superman, but that the studio is looking to recast the role and move forward with a new Supes solo film in the near future. What's more, these sources are saying that the new flick will take place in the same timeline as director Matt Reeves' forthcoming The Batman — that is to say, one completely distinct from the one that gave as Cavill's Superman and Batfleck.

While it's not clear whether our friends at WGTC is getting all of their information from the same sources, the website has been going hot and heavy on the DC rumor mill as of late, and this bit of news could very well tie in with what they've been reporting in the last week or so. Word is that Warner Brothers is interested in using the character of Supergirl — most likely by way of a solo movie of her own — to reboot the entire Kryptonian mythology, making it distinct from the one that the early films released under the unofficial "DC Extended Universe" banner have put forth.

This makes a certain amount of sense, as Kara Zor-El has had a great deal of success lately on the small screen with her series, part of the CW's Arrowverse. With her profile having been bolstered by the show, the studio may be feeling that the time is right for a big-screen Supergirl, and using her origin story to reintroduce the Krypton mythos would be a clever way to avoid the "been there, done that" trap of forcing the character of Superman to shoulder that narrative load, as has obviously been done multiple times already.

It could also be an opportunity to introduce a younger Clark Kent, which would be a good idea for several reasons. With Reeves having cast 33-year old Robert Pattinson in the role of Bruce Wayne, filling the part of Supes with an actor in a similar age range would be ideal, to say nothing of the fact that — if these "new timeline" films are successful — Warner Brothers will want to make sure that their new Superman will be capable of playing the role for many years to come. Pattinson's contract has been reported to include options on "at least" two more films (via The Verge), and it's a sure bet that the studio is hoping for much, much more.

Warner Brothers' approach to rehabilitating their DC properties is shaping up to be a very interesting one. Now branded "Worlds of DC," the films appear to be using the alternate timeline conceit to introduce new versions of key characters in a way that doesn't outright discount the flicks that have come before. It's also easy to imagine that the character/actor combinations which have met with the favor of audiences could easily be introduced to the new timeline with just a bit of narrative trickery.

We already know that Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman will be back on the big screen next summer in Wonder Woman 1984, and that Jason Momoa's Aquaman will be returning for a solo sequel in 2022. Could these characters — introduced on the "old" timeline — interact with the new versions from this different timeline? Hey, why not? It's not like there isn't a long, long history of comic book characters skipping over into alternate dimensions. One possible means of porting Wondy and/or Aquaman over to the "new" timeline has even already been introduced in the "old" one: the Flash, who in certain situations can hop on over to an alternate universe as easily as you might go down the street to pick up a burger. Of course, the contract of Ezra Miller — who played the Scarlet Speedster in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League — has expired, but Warner Brothers could always bring him back to the table.

Now, introducing cross-pollination between the timelines could open up a narrative can of worms, but according to yet another rumor, Warner Brothers may have found a solution for that, as well. That rumor states that James Gunn, who is directing The Suicide Squad for the studio before jumping back to Marvel to helm Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, has been tapped to help oversee the entire franchise (and presumably to assist with maintaining continuity). This may mean that he'll be filling a sort of expanded version of the role he's filled with Marvel; although the Guardians films are Gunn's only directorial credits for the studio, he was credited as a producer on Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, both of which his characters appeared in. According to WGTC's source, Gunn will serve as a producer on several upcoming DC projects — and, somewhat ironically, his experience with Marvel could be just what the doctor ordered to help whip the Worlds of DC into shape.

At any rate, none of this is confirmed, but the existence of The Batman makes clear that there will definitely be some alternate timeline-ing going on. It'll be intriguing to see how it all shakes out, and — no offense, Mr. Cavill — we would love to see a new, improved, more comics-accurate version of Superman on the big screen. We'll keep our eyes peeled for any and all news, and report it as it becomes available.