James Gunn says Henry Cavill was ‘dicked around’ by former DC execs, never recast as Superman

James Gunn is firing back at the idea that he and fellow DC Studios boss Peter Safran are the ones who poured kryptonite on Henry Cavill’s dreams of returning as Superman.

While unveiling their new vision for the DC Universe on Tuesday, Gunn revealed that Cavill — who publicly confirmed his return as the Man of Steel in October following a cameo in Black Adam — had never actually been recast as the character in the first place.

“We didn’t fire Henry. Henry was never cast,” Gunn said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “For me, it’s about who do I want to cast as Superman and who do the filmmakers we have want to cast. And for me, for this story, it isn’t Henry.”

James Gunn; BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (2016) HENRY CAVILL as Superman

Matt Baron/Shutterstock; Clay Enos/Warner Bros. James Gunn said that Henry Cavill was never recast as Superman.

Gunn, who previously announced that he was in the process of writing a Cavill-less Superman film back in December, maintained that he bore no ill will toward Cavill in the slightest.

“I like Henry, I think he’s a great guy,” he continued. “I think he’s getting dicked around by a lot of people, including the former regime at this company. But this Superman is not Henry, for a number of reasons.”

According to Gunn, the new Superman installment, titled Superman Legacy, will mark “the true beginning of the DCU.” The film, which is set to soar into theaters on July 11, 2025, will “focus on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing,” per a press release.

In December, Gunn previously shared on Twitter that part of the reason why Cavill wasn’t a good fit for the latest iteration of Superman was that the film centered “on an earlier part of Superman’s life.” At the time, he added, “But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.”

Cavill confirmed that he would be putting down the cape on social media the same day. “I will, after all, not be returning as Superman,” he wrote on Instagram. “After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life.”

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He continued, “The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.”

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