James Gunn and Peter Safran’s overhaul of DC Studios was supposed to bring clarity–a new universe, a new Superman, a fresh beginning. Instead, nearly three years later, the franchise remains in flux, haunted by the past and by fans unwilling to let go of Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel.
In 2022, Cavill made headlines when he announced he would not return as Superman, just weeks after his Black Adam post-credits cameo hinted at the opposite. Gunn later revealed that the situation unfolded as he and Safran were still finalizing their contracts with DC.
“It’s terrible … the day our deal closed, all of a sudden, they were announcing that Henry was back … the plan was to come in and do a new Superman,” Gunn said. He praised Cavill’s professionalism, recalling that the actor “handled it all with grace,” only asking that he be the one to tell fans.
In follow-up comments, Gunn clarified Cavill wasn’t “fired.” “For me, the right story and the filmmakers we have for that story—it isn’t Henry,” he explained. The first film in the new continuity, Superman (2025), stars David Corenswet as a younger Clark Kent. The project followed the animated Creature Commandos and leads into Supergirl (2026), starring House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock.
But the Snyder-era Superman isn’t fading quietly. Zack Snyder recently posted a black-and-white photo of Cavill with the caption “Henry Cavill is Superman.” The image reignited discussion among fans hopeful for a return or revival of Snyder’s version of the DC Universe.
Not long after, Netflix shared promotional art featuring Cavill’s Superman alongside Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam, further fanning speculation. And Snyder’s newest Instagram post — “Henry in his natural setting” — has once again sparked fan enthusiasm. Comments like “the one and only” and “this is the Superman of our generation” reflect that devotion.
For Gunn and Safran, this nostalgia is both a blessing and a burden. The DCEU began strong in 2013 with Snyder’s Man of Steel, which earned over $670 million worldwide. But Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017) proved divisive, and despite the eventual release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), the franchise’s identity fractured beyond repair.
The new DCU is off to an uneven start, with fans pointing out unclear continuity and character overlaps. Gunn continues to clarify what counts as canon, though confusion remains.
Meanwhile, Cavill has embraced a new phase of his career. Following his exit from The Witcher, he starred in Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle (2024) and reunited with Guy Ritchie for The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024). He’ll next appear alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Eiza González in In the Grey and lead Amazon’s Warhammer 40,000 franchise–a personal dream project that merges his creative ambitions with his gaming passion.
Cavill’s post-DC trajectory highlights his shift toward creative control and world-building. Still, Snyder’s latest social media gestures show how tightly fans still associate him with Superman. Whether those posts are playful nostalgia or subtle foreshadowing, they underline a truth Gunn’s DCU must face: even in a new era, Henry Cavill’s Superman remains the standard many fans still measure against.
