After a brief appearance in Black Adam, Henry Cavill confirmed that he is, indeed, back in the DC Comics Extended Universe (DCEU). The actor made his DCEU debut as Clark Kent, a.k.a. Superman, back in the 2013 film Man of Steel. Over the years, he has reprised his superhero role a few times, including for some reshoots of Zack Snyder's Justice League.Since then, it almost seemed like Cavill was done with DC films for good until Dwayne Johnson started teasing that his Black Adam and Superman had to meet up at some point. And now that he is back, does this also mean that there would be a Man of Steel 2?
Henry Cavill Says Returning As Superman In Black Adam Was ‘A Very Powerful Moment’
!Johnson has teased the return of Cavill in recent months and his brief appearance in the post-credits scene of Black Adam confirmed as much. To make this happen, Johnson, his Seven Bucks Productions, and ex-wife Dany Garcia, who is also Cavill’s manager, held talks with the actor behind the scenes.
And once he agreed, Cavill then had to seek clearance from his production team on Netflix’s The Witcher so that he could film for DC in secret.
“I went to Warner Bros.’ studio in the UK and got back in the suit,” the actor recalled. “It was a very powerful moment for me. I wasn’t sure how I would feel…whether it would be something very emotionally connective because I put the Man of Steel suit back on. I chose that one in particular because of the nostalgia attached to the suit. It was important for me to be standing there and enjoying that moment.”
Cavill also said that playing Superman is “one of the top moments in my career.”
Is Man Of Steel 2 Happening Now That Henry Cavill Is Back?
There is reason to believe that a sequel is already in the works, especially following the return of Cavill. Back in October, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the project is being produced by Charles Roven and that the search for a writer is also underway with Mission: Impossible’s Christopher McQuarrie on the shortlist.
As for Cavill himself, the actor also admitted that he’d be interested to see what happens next considering that Superman hasn’t really been the focus of any story since the first DCEU film.
“I felt like Man of Steel was a wonderful opening story, an origin story to Superman. It left a lot of space for him to grow beyond that and become the hero that we recognize,” Cavill explained.
“Batman v Superman took a hard turn down a darker route, and it was a Batman perspective story and so it didn’t really show the aspects of Superman which I was very, very keen to show. Justice League Snyder Cut definitely leant into that a bit more. I had a bit more of a gentleness to the tone of the thing, but I would love to have the opportunity to play the Superman that we all know and love from the comics, as a continuation of his development, and we see the hero.”
And while Man of Steel 2 is still in the development stage, the star also has some ideas on the stories that the film can explore next.
“It’s just about finding the right hooks to have a character that is as good and idealistic as Superman, that there are wonderful opportunities to delve into what it’s like to exist as him and those hardships that come with that,” Cavill continued.
“When you have to save everyone, how hard is that on you? That could be an interesting line to run.”
Man Of Steel 2 Was Previously Shelved By Former DC Films Management
The latest development comes after it was believed that former DC Films’ president Walter Hamada previously vetoed the idea of a sequel (and Cavill’s return), instead preferring to move the DCEU out of Snyder’s creative control and introduce a black Superman instead.
According to reports, the idea to bring Cavill back was first brought up during the reshoot for Black Adam, but Hamada reportedly shot down the idea. “We fought for years to bring you back,” Johnson even seemingly confirmed in a tweet addressed to Cavill. “They always said no.”
But then, after Hamada said no, Johnson met with Warner Bros. Pictures heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy and finally got his green light. As for Cavill, the actor also said that he “never lost hope” even when it looked like he wasn’t going to be asked back to the DCEU. “I told myself I’m gonna let it sit and simmer in the background,” he recalled.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery hasn’t announced new projects starring Cavill for now. That said, Johnson had already teased that fans will see Superman again soon. “Welcome home,” the Black Adam star told Cavill on Twitter. “I’ll see you down the road.”
