Warner Bros. (WB) and DC Studios' original plans for Henry Cavill's Superman return weren't so Black Adam-focused.
Henry Cavill finally made his long-awaited return to the DCU thanks to a cameo as Superman during the mid-credits scene from Black Adam. But many are still wondering what exactly took the team behind the former DC Extended Universe such a long time to actually get the Man of Steel actor back in the red-and-blue suit.
Cavill reportedly said no to appearing in Shazam!, which led to a body double being used at the end of that movie, but WB chairman Toby Emmerich was adamant that Cavill would never play Superman again after that decision.
Now, the tone has changed slightly from those reports, with a new story indicating what WB had initially planned for Cavill before the very fabric of the DCU changed.
Grand WB Plan For Cavill’s Superman Return
The Hollywood Reporter shared details on the initial plan for Henry Cavill's comeback as Superman within the DC Universe.
Prior to Dwayne Johnson convincing Warner Bros. and DC to have Cavill's Man of Steel return in Black Adam, former President of DC Films Walter Hamada reportedly had a long-term goal to have Cavill return in the cape in a tentpole event adaptation of Crisis on Infinite Earths. This DC comic arc heavily focused on the Multiverse and alternate reality superheroes, and this blockbuster presumably would've done the same.
What Will Happen With Cavill's DC Return Now?
Even though fans saw some big crossover events in the first era of the DCEU, starting early with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a Crisis on Infinite Earths-style event would have brought out all of DC's big guns. The basics of the event are comparable to what Marvel Studios is building toward with 2026's Avengers: Secret Wars, as multiple universes are put into danger, and it would have seemingly brought Henry Cavill's Superman back for the franchise's own major movie.
But looking at what former DC head Walter Hamada had planned, it still begs the question of why Cavill's comeback was held back for such a long time. Whether it was internal arguments between former WB top brass or complications over what the plan for the story was, getting to that point with Cavill would have been a tough road.
Now, with rumors hinting that the entire main cast of the DCU could get recast, Cavill's future as Superman is completely up in the air regardless of what was planned in the first place. Fans can only hope that he'll get to continue playing the Man of Steel when DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran reveal their plans in the coming weeks
