In the wake of Justice League's rather astonishing failure with critics, audiences, and hardcore DC fans alike, the executives at Warner Bros. have given us plenty of time to prepare for the inevitable reset of their "Worlds of DC" brand. The soft reboot will begin with James Wan's Aquaman, which appears to be a gonzo spectacle of CGI wizardry, followed by David F. Sandberg's kid-friendly Shazam! and Patty Jenkins' hotly-anticipated Wonder Woman 1984. And on top of those core films, Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix are set to launch a gritty branch of the DC universe with Joker, a presumably R-rated standalone vehicle set in the 1980s.
Even with some idea of DC's new direction, many questions have remained for fans. What's the status of those Suicide Squad sequels? Is Matt Reeves making progress on the Batman reboot? And most importantly, what's the future of Superman?
Well, if this week's reports are to be believed, Warner Bros. will need to cast a new actor to don the iconic cape. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Henry Cavill's tenure as the Man of Steel is coming to a close, after talks between the actor and the studio fell apart. The braintrust at Warner wanted Cavill to make an appearance in the upcoming Shazam!, eventually paving the way for another standalone Superman movie. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts caused that idea to crumble.
If Warner Bros. is to be believed, Cavill isn't going anywhere. In a statement shortly after THR's report, the studio had this to say:
"We have a great relationship and great respect for Henry Cavill that continues to remain unchanged. Additionally we have made no current decisions regarding any upcoming Superman films."
Cavill released a cryptic video on Instagram, one that can be read as either a denial of the THR report or confirmation that he's done. In any case, I'm siding with the report, which is packed with details on what Warner Bros. plans to do with the franchise moving forward. The studio is reportedly planning on making a Supergirl movie, one that would push Cavill's take on Kal-El out of the picture. In addition, the possibility of a new Superman movie is seemingly years away, and Cavill is seeking to make other strides in his career, as demonstrated by his involvement with Netflix's The Witcher series.
While we likely won't receive confirmation on Cavill's departure (or Ben Affleck's all-but-confirmed exit, for that matter) for years, I think we all have to accept that this stage of the DC Universe is coming to an end. It's sad that Cavill never got to be the Superman he discussed in interviews, this colorful and hopeful take on the character that he desperately wanted to play. And it's equally sad that directors like Matthew Vaughn and Christopher McQuarrie won't get an opportunity to put their stamp on the most iconic superhero of all. However, there's a new age underway at DC, and the sooner we put all of this in the past, the better. Sad but true.
The next phase of the Worlds of DC will begin on December 21, when Aquaman roars into theaters. As always, stay tuned for more information.
Images: Warner Bros./IMDb
Even with some idea of DC's new direction, many questions have remained for fans. What's the status of those Suicide Squad sequels? Is Matt Reeves making progress on the Batman reboot? And most importantly, what's the future of Superman?
Well, if this week's reports are to be believed, Warner Bros. will need to cast a new actor to don the iconic cape. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Henry Cavill's tenure as the Man of Steel is coming to a close, after talks between the actor and the studio fell apart. The braintrust at Warner wanted Cavill to make an appearance in the upcoming Shazam!, eventually paving the way for another standalone Superman movie. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts caused that idea to crumble.
If Warner Bros. is to be believed, Cavill isn't going anywhere. In a statement shortly after THR's report, the studio had this to say:
"We have a great relationship and great respect for Henry Cavill that continues to remain unchanged. Additionally we have made no current decisions regarding any upcoming Superman films."
Cavill released a cryptic video on Instagram, one that can be read as either a denial of the THR report or confirmation that he's done. In any case, I'm siding with the report, which is packed with details on what Warner Bros. plans to do with the franchise moving forward. The studio is reportedly planning on making a Supergirl movie, one that would push Cavill's take on Kal-El out of the picture. In addition, the possibility of a new Superman movie is seemingly years away, and Cavill is seeking to make other strides in his career, as demonstrated by his involvement with Netflix's The Witcher series.
While we likely won't receive confirmation on Cavill's departure (or Ben Affleck's all-but-confirmed exit, for that matter) for years, I think we all have to accept that this stage of the DC Universe is coming to an end. It's sad that Cavill never got to be the Superman he discussed in interviews, this colorful and hopeful take on the character that he desperately wanted to play. And it's equally sad that directors like Matthew Vaughn and Christopher McQuarrie won't get an opportunity to put their stamp on the most iconic superhero of all. However, there's a new age underway at DC, and the sooner we put all of this in the past, the better. Sad but true.
The next phase of the Worlds of DC will begin on December 21, when Aquaman roars into theaters. As always, stay tuned for more information.
Images: Warner Bros./IMDb
Comments
Post a Comment