Despite whispers that Henry Cavill's Man of Steel sequel is still a long way out, it seems that it might actually arrive much sooner than originally anticipated.
The actor's first solo outing as the character debuted all the way back in 2013. Instead of getting a proper sequel, he went on to star in Batman v Superman and Justice League, leaving no time for another adventure of his own.
However, thanks to all the controversy behind Justice League and its failure at the box office, Joss Whedon's movie marked the last time the actor stepped into the suit for a major appearance—not counting Zack Snyder's 2021 cut, where he donned the black suit in formerly deleted scenes.
That all changed recently when he surprised the world and showed up for a big cameo at the end of Black Adam. But did his post-credits visit mean that a Superman sequel might be happening sooner rather than later?
Now, insiders are claiming that the recent news of Cavill leaving Netflix's The Witcher could be a key sign that Man of Steel 2 is just around the corner.
Man of Steel 2 Might Be Arriving Sooner Than Anticipated
During a discussion on his YouTube show, John Campea discussed why a new Superman project might be further along in development than many might think.
In reference to the recent news of Liam Hemsworth replacing Henry Cavill for the leading role in The Witcher, Campea asked, "Why did they need to announce Liam Hemsworth now?"
He pointed out how the news "could have been announced... in a few months," unless the show's fourth season was "going into production... real soon:"
“Here’s where it makes me think a little something fishy. Why did they need to announce Liam Hemsworth now? A friend of mine texted me and said, you know, ‘There was absolutely no need to announce Liam Hemsworth right now. You could have announced that in a few months, unless they’re planning on going into production on Season 4 real soon.’ Like imminently soon. And if that’s the case, you’ve got to announce Liam Hemsworth now."
If production was starting up soon and the recast needed to happen, then that could indicate that Henry Cavill had big scheduling conflicts. Campea noted that he's "heard that [Warner Bros. is] a lot closer to shooting a new Superman" than people think:
"Okay, if that’s true, and we don’t know that it is, but if that’s true and they needed to announce Liam Hemsworth now, because they are going to be fast-tracking Season 4 moving into production that real, real soon, it could be that with all these announcements about Superman that they– ’cause Rob, we have both heard that they are a lot closer to shooting a new Superman thing than anybody is being led on to believe. And if that’s the case, then it’s not that one doesn’t have time to play multiple roles, it’s just that if something’s going to be shooting at the same time…"
He elaborated that either The Witcher will "be shooting Season 4 real damn soon," or "[Warner Bros.] could be going into production on a Superman movie by February or March [next year]:"
"So this could mean two things. Number one, that they’re going to be shooting Season 4 real damn soon. And number two, they could be going into production on a Superman movie by February or March. Again, neither of which do we know to be true or a fact, but I’m just saying the speculation is there. So while I initially completely dismissed the idea that Henry leaving The Witcher had anything to do with Superman, there might be a correlation. There that might be a causality there, right?”
Who Will Go Up Against Superman Next?
While Henry Cavill's future in the DCU is looking brighter than it has for years, it's still a little cloudy. With his arrival in Black Adam and his exit from The Witcher seeming to indicate a return sooner rather than later, some sources seem to think that no deal has been signed for additional movies.
Though, it all also depends on what new Warner Bros. leaders James Gunn and Peter Safran have in store for the Man of Steel's future. However, given how they've been speaking to CEO David Zaslav for some time now, Superman is undoubtedly part of their plans.
The real question is, which will the fans see first: Cavill in Black Adam 2 or his first proper solo outing since 2013?
If a proper Superman sequel is in store, it could be a great time to introduce modern takes on big villains such as Brainiac, Mr. Mxyzptlk, or Metallo.
Black Adam is now playing in theaters worldwide, while Man of Steel 2 remains unconfirmed.
