Note: This article contains spoilers for Black Adam
It's an exciting era for fans of Henry Cavill's Superman. The Hollywood Reporter recently revealed that Warner Bros. is developing a Man of Steel 2 produced by Charles Roven, producer of DC films like The Dark Knight and Wonder Woman. The report comes hot on the heels of the confirmation that Henry Cavill is making his return as the Man of Tomorrow in Black Adam, starring Dwayne Johnson.
The idea of a standalone Man of Steel sequel starring Cavill is undoubtedly exciting, but a new rumor claims that a Cavill-led Superman film may be a ways away. Sean O'Connell, managing editor for CinemaBlend, tweeted a tease about more information regarding the actor's future as Clark Kent.
In response to O'Connell's message, scooper KC Walsh stated that a proper Superman film is still in early stages, and that Cavill would be able to do nothing more than cameos for what they calculated to be a "year and a half," given his busy schedule:
"The ['Man of Steel 2'] news today isn't as far along as we think, and Cavill can only do cameos for now and the foreseeable future as [he] is busy for the next year, year and a half, [and] can't do a full film."
Though that may sound disappointing, it's important to keep in mind it is a rumor.
Rumor or not, though, it makes sense for Man of Steel 2 to possibly be a ways away. Not only due to Cavill's schedule, but also because of the extensive schedule that a superhero blockbuster entails. Per The Hollywood Reporter, a search for writers is underway, indicating that a script is not currently in place. So far, there seems to be no director or cast attached either.
Assuming production on this potential Man of Steel 2 is not accelerated, putting together all of those pieces could take months, perhaps even a year. After that, there is the filming portion, which typically begins a year or a little over a year before a film's release date. Taking all of those elements into consideration, as mentioned, it's understandable for Man of Steel 2 to be far away.
On the other hand, however, according to THR, Warner Bros. has "an intense desire" to have Cavill back as Superman. As such, though it appears the movie won't hit theaters in a long time, there could be a possibility (however small it may be) of it being fast-tracked.
The next entry in the DCEU, Black Adam, arrives in theaters on October 21, 2022.