It's been almost seven years since Henry Cavill's Superman flew into theaters with 2013's Man of Steel. Since then, the Zack Snyder take on the Last Son of Krypton has appeared in two other films: the half sequel, half spin-off Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and most recently in the superhero crossover Justice League.
The iconic hero's history with the DCEU and Warner Brothers has been far from perfect, however. Studio interferences, last-minute director shake-ups, and an infamous mustache war have given Superman more of a fight than Lex Luthor ever could.
After a Superman cameo appearance in Shazam! played by Cavill's stunt double, it seemed as if the actor's heroic future with the studio was over, but then a report broke saying Henry Cavill was in talks to reprise the role of Superman.
While the report claimed that Man of Steel 2 was not in the works just yet, this didn't keep fans from hoping that a proper Superman sequel would be on its way soon, but a new rumor suggests that it could be a long time before Cavill gets another stand-alone Superman film.
NEWS
According to rumored insider information reported by Heroic Hollywood, sources close to WarnerMedia say that there is no work being done on a Man of Steel 2 over at Warner Brothers. Heroic Hollywood states:
"...There is currently no script for Man of Steel 2 even written or plans to make one at the moment. Insiders tell Heroic Hollywood that the Man of Steel sequel is currently not in open writing assignment on talent agency grids... An insider with knowledge of the [Cavill] talks tells Heroic Hollywood that "a stand alone Superman movie would not be successful at this time. Perhaps once there's more momentum after playing a supporting role in some successful DC films, there would be more of a chance for a stand-alone film."
WHAT THIS MEANS
If this rumor is accurate, it will be a long, long time before Man of Steel 2 arrives in theaters, if ever. It's interesting that Warner Brothers is deciding to take a cautious approach to the hero's future at the studio. Superman is one of the most iconic superheroes of all time, and the method of testing Cavill's iteration out through various supporting appearances feels like something that would be done with a smaller-tier character.
This information shows just how much Henry Cavill's Superman has suffered at the expense of the outside circumstances that seemed to follow him at every turn. The studio does not believe in the success of a stand-alone Superman movie so much that they haven't even begun plans to work on a Man of Steel 2 script.
While the three films featuring Cavill's Superman have not received universal praise, the actor's iteration of the character appears to be popular among fans, and the cultural status of the character alone should be enough to warrant another stand-alone film.
Hopefully, the character's supporting appearances redeem Cavill's Superman in the eyes of the studio. The Man of Steel could be in any of the numerous planned DC projects being worked on, and once Superman does get another stand-alone feature, it will definitely be a long-awaited sight.
