Well this is unexpected, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, Henry Cavill is stepping down from the role of Superman after only 5 years in the DC Cinematic Universe. Cavill played Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman in MAN OF STEEL (2013), BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (2016) and JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017), but oddly enough the falling out seems to have come from shaky contract negotiations (citing scheduling conflicts) involving the upcoming SHAZAM movie, which Cavill was meant to appear in with a cameo. This coupled with Warner Bros. wanted to focus attention on a Supergirl movie, which would revolve around a young kryptonian girl and in which Kal-El would just be an infant, means the the necessity to keep Henry Cavill on the payroll is waning. Evidently the studio wasn’t planning on another stand-alone Superman movie for a while, and all of this comes on the heels of Ben Affleck going back to rehab for the third time, meaning he’s not likely to reprise his role of Batman for Matt Reeves’ stand-alone movie… so, yeah, the DC Cinematic Universe may have just lost their top two superheroes. Warner Brothers issued the following statement in reference to this story:
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.
Add to this a rather BIG rumor that is likely to be received with either extreme joy or disdain depending on your personal feelings, but word has it Warner Bros. may actually be considering the idea of casting CREED star Michael B. Jordan as Superman should they decided to go in a new direction. Deadline reports this is a definite consideration for the studio, though it wouldn’t happen until after the Supergirl movie gets off the ground. Jordan has appeared in two Marvel movies, the recent BLACK PANTHER playing the villain, and the most recent reboot of FANTASTIC FOUR, the latter of which was a flop. But more than that it saw a great deal of controversy with Jordan playing Johnny Storm, a character who historically has always been white. That casting drew some pretty heavy fan outrage, even though it was explained easily enough in the movie, but imagine those same fans finding out he might be playing Superman… I don’t want to see the comments, I honestly don’t. It should be noted, there actually is a black Superman in the comics, Calvin Ellis, who was based on none other than Barack Obama, and in the comic stories is also President of the United States on a different earth in the multiverse.
It’s only fair to say that for the moment, it seems like nothing is 100% official, more just rumor, but the sources are usually reliable when it comes to this sort of info. We’ll just leave you with this… this is what Henry Cavill posted on his Instagram… which quite frankly could mean anything.
Be peaceful, the cape is still in his closet. @wbpictures has been and continues to be our partners as they evolve the DC Universe. Anticipate a WB statement later today.
— Dany Garcia (@DanyGarciaCo) September 12, 2018
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
