#Has Warner Bros. Lost Faith in Henry Cavill to Lead a Solo Superman Movie?

Rumors have been gathering strength for some time that Henry Cavill will be reprising his role as Superman in the DCEU, to the point where fans are convinced Cavill will be donning the red cape sooner rather than later, although in what capacity remains a mystery. Now, a new report by Heroic Hollywood based on claims made by ‘inside sources’, state that Warner Bros. does not intend to make a solo Superman movie with Cavill any time soon, because of the following reason.

“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.”

It is true that Henry Cavill’s tenure as Superman has struggled to find the success of Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel, or Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Even fans who love Henry Cavill as Clark Kent generally agrees his efforts suffered due to poor storytelling material.

Another reason given by the report is that J.J. Abrams has been brought on board by Warner Bros. to give a new direction to some DCEU movies. While Abrams is a huge Superman fan and has written scripts in the past for a movie based on the character, he recently stated that he has had no talks with the studio to make a Superman movie.

Also, if Abrams were to make such a film, he would want a fresh start, with a fresh cast led by a new actor in the role of Superman, which clashes with Warner Bros.’s intention to bring Cavill back as the Last Son of Krypton.

Finally, there is the fact that Cavill’s jam-packed schedule over the next few years due to his commitment to The Witcher means he will have a difficult time finding dates to fit in an entire movie shoot. So for the time being at least, it seems Cavill’s participation as Superman will be limited to supporting roles and cameos in other DCEU films.

This is not a bad way to introduce characters into a broader narrative. In fact, Marvel did the exact same thing for The Hulk. After his first two films failed to ignite public interest, the green behemoth’s role was limited to supporting parts within the MCU. The character proved his popularity and connected with the audience in those smaller parts, to the extent that now fans are demanding a solo movie for Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk.

Many will see Superman’s reduced role in the DCEU as a step back for the iconic character, arguably the most significant superhero in history. But in this day and age, with a surfeit of superhero movies, being iconic is no longer enough. Warner Bros. needs to make general audiences care about Superman again, even if it is through supporting roles for now, which could then one day lead to the long-awaited Man of Steel sequel.This news originated at Heroic Hollywood.

Topics: Superman