Is Henry Cavill Leaving Superman Role? WB Releases Statement As Rumors Swirl

Superman might not look like Henry Cavill for much longer. New reports claim that Warner Bros. is cutting the Man of Steel actor out of the DC Extended Universe, but the studio says that fans shouldn’t be concerned yet.

“While no decisions have been made regarding any upcoming Superman films, we’ve always had great respect for and a great relationship with Henry Cavill, and that remains unchanged,” Warner Bros. said in a statement.

The comment was given after The Hollywood Reporter claimed that contract negotiations between Cavill’s reps at WME and Warner Bros. have broken down. The studio will reportedly focus on Supergirl instead. THR notes that a Supergirl origin story would force Superman to be a baby in order to stay true to the comic books, but fans of The CW’s “Supergirl” know that the story can easily be altered to allow Superman to actually be older.

Deadline alleges that the WB has been thinking about Cavill’s replacement for a long while and already have an unexpected casting idea. Executives are considering bringing in Michael B. Jordan “down the road.” Jordan is only four years younger than Cavill, who started playing Clark Kent in 2013.

Still, it doesn’t seem like any final decisions have been made yet. Cavill’s manager, Dany Garcia, took to Twitter to hint that contract negotiations aren’t over yet. “Be peaceful, the cape is still in his closet. @wbpictures has been and continues to be our partners as they evolve the DC Universe,” she wrote.

Cavill’s schedule is slightly more difficult to work around now that he’s doing a TV show. The “Mission: Impossible - Fallout” star signed on to lead Netflix’s “The Witcher,” an adaptation of the popular video game. THR reports that the TV series caused scheduling conflicts, preventing him from making a Superman cameo in next year’s “Shazam!,” but other sources told the outlet that Cavill signed to the Netflix series after negotiations with Warner Bros. hit a stalemate.

It’s worth noting that a deal might not need to be reached immediately. No Superman sequels are on the slate of upcoming DC movies. Instead, new franchises are being launched with “Aquaman” due out in December and “Shazam!” hitting theaters in April.