How Henry Cavill's Superman Story Would Have Ended, According To Zack Snyder

Zack Snyder's take on Superman (Henry Cavill) in "Man of Steel," "Batman v. Superman," and "Justice League" is polarizing. However, some fans would like to see him get the chance to conclude the story on his terms. "Justice League" sets up an apocalyptic future where the Kryptonian hero is buddies with Darkseid (Ray Porter), and it's clear the filmmaker had a specific vision in mind for his arc. Evil Supes wouldn't have stuck around permanently, though, as Snyder would have brought him back to the light after Darkseid obtained the Anti-Life Equation he wanted in the Snyder Cut.

"He was going to have to succumb to the Anti-life, be destroyed, turn the clock back, and then get his chance for this battle against Darkseid. If you will... that would have finished his trilogy of becoming this guardian, and sort of, return him to his humanity," Snyder told GQ while looking back at his DCEU run.

The ability to time travel is one of Superman's most unknown powers. However, it's been largely abandoned since "Superman: The Movie," which concludes with our hero flying around the Earth very fast so he can reverse history. Snyder didn't elaborate on how the Man of Steel would have performed this extraordinary feat in his unmade movie, and we'll probably never get to see it happen, as Snyder's iteration of Superman is officially a thing of the past.

James Gunn caused controversy when he reportedly fired Henry Cavill after taking over DC Studios. Since then, the "Guardians of the Galaxy" director has explained that he never fired Cavill, as the actor wasn't hired to play Superman in the DC Universe in the first place. Furthermore, the character's next big-screen adaptation promises to be completely different from Zack Snyder's films.

Gunn's film, which will fly into theaters in 2025, looks set to be all about a Superman who embodies peace, justice, and the American way. Details about the movie are scarce at the moment, but Gunn has teased characters who might show up in his "Superman." Meanwhile, David Corenswet will portray Clark Kent as he navigates his Kryptonian heritage and superhero life on Earth.

Zack Snyder has also been busy since parting ways with DC. He's currently focused on Netflix's "Rebel Moon" franchise and probably won't be short of projects to pursue afterward. Still, his unrealized ending to Superman's story will go down in history as one of Hollywood's big what-if stories.