DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn addressed the possibility of potentially seeing Henry Cavill back as a new character in the DCU. Cavill began his DC stint as Superman in 2013's Man of Steel, kickstarting the DC Extended Universe that would rival the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). However, the plans were derailed after the DCEU struggled with critical reception and inconsistency at the box office, leading to a full reboot of the DC Universe under Gunn and co-CEO Peter Safran.
Unfortunately for Cavill, it came at a time when he returned as Superman in 2022's Black Adam's post-credits scene (which also led to his heartfelt announcement about coming back as Superman). While fans still wonder if Cavill's version of the DC hero will return in the future, a new interview with James Gunn sheds some light on the actor's potential return to DC's backyard.
Speaking as a guest at Josh Horowitz's Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, DC Studios co-CEO and Superman director James Gunn discussed Henry Cavill's possible future in the DCU and whether he can play a new character.
Gunn admitted that it was "terrible" to be the one to tell the news to Cavill that he would no longer play Superman while also speaking about the timeline of events leading up to that moment:
Josh Horowitz: "I was somewhat in the middle of this in a weird way because I talked to Henry Cavill in the middle, when Black Adam is coming out."
Gunn: "Oh, good god. Yeah."
Horowitz: "And we love Henry, of course. [The] sweetest guy."
Gunn: "Sweet guy. Love him."
Horowitz: "And he has the cameo at the end. We had a big moment on stage, where he thought he was coming back. We all thought he was coming back, but maybe unbeknownst to him or not, you're already writing a Superman movie, which is clearly for a different, younger actor. Soon thereafter, you get the gig as the head of DCU. Correct. I had this roughly right?"
Gunn: "Yeah, that's right. Yes, correct."
Horowitz: "So then, at a certain point, you and Peter [Safran] have to have that unfortunate phone call with him."
Gunn: "No, we sat down with him. We sat down with Henry."
Horowitz: "So without revealing too much, I mean, what is it like to have to be the guy to tell Superman, 'Thank you for your time. We have to go a different way now.'"
Gunn: "It's terrible. So we were trying to figure out if we could take the job at DC Studios, and we're talking to David Zaslav and all the legal people there and figuring out what our deals would be. And the day our deal closed, all of a sudden, they were announcing that Henry was back. And I'm like, 'What is going on?' We know what the plan is like. The plan was to come in and do Superman. So it was really unfair to him and was a total bummer."
Gunn also said that the timing of Cavill's Superman return was "really unfortunate," but he was an "absolute gentleman" when he and co-CEO Peter Safran told him about the sad news:
Gunn: "But there was a vacuum at the time, and a lot of people were... [I'm] trying to be as diplomatic as possible. They wanted to take on what they wanted to do with DC and were trying to force their way. And it just was never a part of the equation for David Zazlav, who was the head of WBD. So yeah, so we came in, and that was really unfortunate. I'm like, 'This poor guy,' and so Peter and I... The right thing to do was to sit down with him and talk to him, and we sat down, we talked to him, he was an absolute gentleman, a great guy about it. He said, 'The only thing I asked was that I'm able to reveal it myself as opposed to coming from you guys.'"
When asked if it would be confusing to cast Cavill as a new character in the DC Universe, Gunn said, "Absolutely not," because he had already spoken to him about it and he "would love to put Henry in something" in the DCU's future:
Horowitz: "Would it be too confusing to cast him in your DC Universe going forward?"
Gunn: "As another character? Absolutely not. I talked to him about it on that day. So yeah, I would love to put Henry in something."
Other prominent actors, like Jason Momoa (who played Aquaman in the DCEU), have already landed another major role in the DCU since he will portray Lobo in 2026's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. This means that anything is possible for Cavill, and the door is wide open for him to return to the DCU as a new hero or villain.
Aside from Momoa, some actors will also reprise their same roles in the DCU, such as Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, John Cena as Peacemaker, Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt, and Steve Agee as John Economos.
After Cavill exited DC, David Corenswet took over the role of Superman, and the new 2025 reboot (under James Gunn) is soaring high at the box office while also earning incredible reviews from critics and fans alike. Joining Corenswet in the cast are Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Skylar Gisondo, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. Superman premiered in theaters on July 11, 2025.
Predicting Henry Cavill's Potential DCU Role (Theory)
While it was unfortunate that Henry Cavill did not return as Superman (combined with the timing of his comeback and the behind-the-scenes proceedings with DC Studios), James Gunn's exciting comments about the actor's promising future in the new DCU could hint that there are plans in place for him.
Given the massive roster of DC heroes and villains, a talented and incredible actor like Cavill has many options, such as Brainiac, an evil Multiversal variant from Earth-3 named Ultraman, and Vandal Savage.
It would be fitting if Henry Cavill returned as Brainiac, who could potentially clash against David Corenswet's Superman in the future. Cavill had already proven he has what it takes to portray quietly intense yet dangerous characters, and seeing him bring the DC villain to life would be a welcome sight.
While Superman already introduced its version of Ultraman, a true and more comic-accurate version of the character could arrive down the line, and Cavill could lend his talents to portray him on-screen. In DC Comics, Earth-3's Ultraman is a dark and twisted version of Superman, and it would be perfect to witness the former DCEU actor don the cape once more, but in a whole new way.
Another character Cavill could portray is Vandal Savage. The immortal warlord would be right up his alley due to the actor's commanding presence, and a potential long-term future with the DCU would give him a chance to stay and appear in more projects.
If Gunn ever considers doing a Crisis on Infinite Earths movie down the line, it would provide the perfect opportunity to bring back Cavill's version of Superman from the DCEU to give him the much-needed closure he deserves on the big screen. All in all, the possibilities are endless.
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