While Henry Cavill has seen his days as Superman in the DC Universe (DCU) come to an end, the drama seemingly extended beyond just his role on-screen.
Following a spree of announcements from new DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, fans learned that Cavill will no longer embody the Man of Steel within the DCU. Even though Superman is only one of numerous roles that will reportedly be recast under Gunn’s watch, Cavill’s exit is particularly rough considering how long it took for him to return to the role.
Cavill made his return as Superman during the mid-credits scene from Black Adam, which was filmed in September after Dwayne Johnson insisted that Cavill be in the movie.
But now, it appears that before his highly-celebrated return, the drama was already brewing for Cavill personally before his days as Superman were officially over.
Cavill Fired Manager Before Leaving DC
Update: Dwayne Johnson took to Twitter to debunk part of the report from Puck claiming that Henry Cavill let go of his manager Dany Garcia months prior to his Superman exit.
Original: According to the most recent newsletter from Puck News' Matt Belloni, former Superman star Henry Cavill fired his manager long before leaving his DC role.
Cavill had the same manager and agency (Dany Garcia, William Morris Entertainment [WME]) as Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson. Garcia is also Johnson’s ex-wife, and they’ve been producing partners for several years.
Johnson was reportedly so adamant about putting Cavill’s Superman in Black Adam that he went around former President of DC Films Walter Hamada’s back to make it happen. The Rock went to new heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy to make sure he and his fellow WME client were in Black Adam’s mid-credits scene together after Hamada said no.
But the problem was that, according to Belloni, Cavill had actually fired Garcia as his manager "a few months" before the DC drama went down, with Garcia advocating for the last-minute cameo (filmed less than two months before the film premiered) so that the movie had the necessary splash to be successful. In the end, that effort was all for naught, as reports noted that Black Adam could suffer losses as high as $100 million from its box office totals.
Johnson & Cavill Done With DC for Good?
Although the inner workings of Hollywood and agencies are a unique territory unto themselves, learning that Dwayne Johnson and Henry Cavill used to be represented by the same company adds a twist to this dramatic situation. Considering Johnson's insistence that Cavill be in Black Adam even after Cavill fired Garcia as his manager, it further indicates just how much of a mess things were behind the scenes in the DC Universe, especially as James Gunn and Peter Safran took over.
While it's unclear whether this change in management had anything to do with the drama that went down at Warner Bros., it paints a disappointing picture of how everything played out when Cavill was let go. Combine that with news that Johnson reportedly leaked false numbers to boost the movie's public image, and it continues to paint a worrisome picture of an already troublesome situation.
All in all, there's a chance that Cavill might never return in any role to the DC Universe, even after having a productive meeting with Gunn and Safran over the matter.
What this means for Johnson and his management company is another story entirely, especially with many thinking that Johnson is also on his way out with Warner Bros. after this version of the DC Universe fizzles away. Only time will tell as the franchise goes through a complete overhaul, although many are anxious to see what becomes of Cavill and Johnson's ties with the studio.
