Superman: James Gunn discusses Henry Cavill exit and DCU future

One of the new bosses of DC Studios, James Gunn, has denied sacking Henry Cavill from his role as Superman.

The actor confirmed in December the “sad news” he had been dropped, just months after announcing his return.

But Gunn, who recently took over the superhero franchise alongside Peter Safran, said on Tuesday that they didn’t fire Cavill, but rather simply did not hire him for further projects.

He made the comments while announcing a raft of new DC movies and TV shows.

“We didn’t fire Henry,” Gunn told journalists. “Henry was never cast.

“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.”

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

Cavill played Superman in films including Man Of Steel and Batman Vs Superman. Gunn and Safran took over DC Studios in October last year, just after Cavill had made a surprise appearance as the Man of Steel during the credits of the Dwayne Johnson film Black Adam.

The British star previously said there were no hard feelings though about the new DC co-chief executives opting to go in a new direction.

“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,” Cavill said just before Christmas.

Superman: Legacy will mark “the true beginning of the DCU” Gunn said, focusing on its titular star balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing.

It is part of a fresh slate of new movie and TV titles set to be rolled out over the next decade, under the banner heading Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.

The aim is to connect characters and storylines from the DC Universe, in a more consistent way using the same actors, across its films, TV shows, games and animations, Gunn added in a video posted online.

As well as Superman, the new era will include a new Batman story – based on the comic book series by Grant Morrison – titled The Brave And The Bold, which will tell the story of Batman and his son Damian Wayne, an assassin whose father tries to get in line.

Other projects shared by Gunn included several animated and live action TV series, such as the Viola-Davis-starring Waller, based on a character previously seen in the Suicide Squad films.

“I’ve loved the DC characters since I was a child. They’re incredibly important to me,” said Gunn.

“I knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something very different.”