Henry Cavill's Superman Replacement Actor Campaigns for DCEU Return

The latest episode of Peacemaker was received as a great bookend to the DC Extended Universe's highest-rated product of all time. Characters have their resolutions, storylines were tied up, and Season 2 of Peacemaker was set up in a beautiful fashion. But it was a cameo appearance by arguably the most famous group of heroes ever assembled that took over the conversation after the finale. Plenty of speculation about the inclusion of Jason Mamoa and Ezra Miller. Even more speculation about the absence of Gal Gadot and Henry Cavil. But one person involved is doing everything he can to take advantage of this momentum. 

The decision made by James Gunn and Warner Bros. to cameo the Justice League at the end of Peacemaker is one that does what no one thought was possible in this show for the established canon of the DCEU. And while Aquaman and Flash both having speaking roles in this show is a legendary moment that will surely have narrative implications moving forward, it was the secondary decision to include Superman and Wonder Woman that is at the forefront. 

Both members of the Holy Trinity (and the only members of said trinity to appear) were featured only in a visual context. The silhouette shot of Superman and Wonder Woman shows that those characters' original actors (Henry Cavil and Gal Gadot respectively) were either not available, or their future in those roles is up in the air. 

Both characters were replaced by body doubles who owned the iconic suits for each hero. One of those body doubles is doing everything he can to turn his moment as a stand-in Superman into the launching pad for a future Man of Steel career. 

Another DC Universe Hashtag

Actor Brad Abramenko was cast to stand in as the body double for Superman in the Justice League cameo scene in the season finale of Peacemaker. Abramenko was shown as a silhouette of the Man of Steel, keeping his face and essentially the identity of Superman ambiguous.

While many believe this is simply a Herny Cavil scheduling issue they decided to shoot around, Abramenko is doing his best to parlay this opportunity into something more.

The actor posted an image of himself in the suit on Instagram with a call to action for his fans. 

"Were you about to say something? Am I your superman guys? If you want me to be, comment #mysuperman on my most recent posts and let’s get this going! ❤️ 🙏"

This was followed up by a similar video of Abramenko in the suit doubling down on his #MySuperman hashtag and asking his followers if he should "be back for season 2 of
peacemaker?"

Who is Superman in the DCEU?

Before diving into Brad Abramenko's campaign to become the DCEU's next Superman, it is important to take a look at the current state of the world's most famous superhero. Henry Cavill, who has most famously played Clark Kent in the DCEU since 2013's Man of Steel, has been very candid about his eagerness to continue his role. From showing support to Michael B. Jordan's upcoming Superman project to talking about how much story there is left to tell for his character, Cavill very much subscribes to the "more the merrier" Multiverse theory of multiple Supermen. 

It is also worth noting that Tyler Hoechlin played the character on the CW's Superman & Lois to some very positive acclaim from fans. 

Abramenko is looking to take this gap of ambiguity in the cameo scene in Peacemaker and use that as a platform to take over for Cavill as the DCEU's Man of Steel. These two Instagram posts begin a #MySuperman campaign for fans to show support for the stand-in actor. Despite a very low-key resume of experience, Abramenko has appeared as an extra in both the CW's Batwoman and The Flash. 

His eagerness to capture one of Hollywood's most coveted roles is understandable. Who wouldn't want to play Clark Kent? And he has already gotten his foot in the door. His physical makeup is obviously there and there is a potential gap to be filled. 

And this surely would not be the first time a hashtag has made moves within the DCEU. Everyone remembers one of the most famous hashtags in pop culture history, #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, not only succeeding but also evolving into #RestoreTheSnyderVerse. 

Abramenko is shooting his shot and it is something no one can blame him for. His confidence and bravado are entertaining, but more than anything, people are questioning why he believes he has a shot. Does this confirm Henry Cavill is out as Superman in the DCEU? No. 

But it does move the needle that way, even if ever so slightly.