What Happened to Henry Cavill’s Superman Comeback Explained

In a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, DC Studios co-head James Gunn discussed the much-debated Henry Cavill‘s Superman comeback. He explained that the studio didn’t bring the actor back to the DC Universe. Gunn said the situation began unfolding just as he finalized his deal to lead DC Studios. The timing, he said, made things far more complicated.

What happened with Henry Cavill’s comeback as Superman?

At that moment, Gunn said the announcement of Cavill’s return completely blindsided him, especially since he already had a different plan in place.

“The day our [DC] deal closed, all of a sudden, they were announcing that Henry was back,” he said. “And I’m like, ‘What is going on?’ We know what the plan is… So it was really unfair to him and a total bummer.”

He explained that, at the same time, a different part of the studio was pushing its own version of DC’s direction. This, in turn, created confusion and ultimately clashed with the reboot plans he and Peter Safran were already developing.

Despite the messy circumstances, Gunn made it clear that Cavill was nothing but professional throughout the process.

“He was an absolute gentleman, a great guy about it,” Gunn shared. “He said, ‘The only thing I ask is that I’m able to reveal it myself as opposed to it coming from you guys.’”

Will Henry Cavill Return After the Superman Comeback Fallout?

Although the Henry Cavill’s Superman Comeback didn’t go forward, Gunn emphasized that there’s no bad blood between them. In fact, he’s open to working with Cavill again in the future.

“Absolutely not. I would love to put Henry in something.”

He said, putting to rest rumors of a permanent split from the DCU.

Cavill famously portrayed Superman in Man of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman (2016), and Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021). But with Gunn’s rebooted Superman film now officially released — starring David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, and Rachel Brosnahan — the DC Universe is headed in a new direction.

Still, fans can take comfort in knowing that while Cavill’s Superman comeback didn’t pan out, the door remains open for his future in the franchise.