What a difference a year can make.
On October 24, 2022, Henry Cavill officially announced that he would be returning as Superman. The actor had been absent from the DC Extended Universe since shooting Justice League's reshoots in 2017; while we've heard he was happy with Joss Whedon's approach to the Man of Steel - perhaps explaining why he didn't take part in filming additional scenes for Zack Snyder's Justice League - the actor was less pleased with how those scenes were received.
With Warner Bros. intent on making the movie's November release date (so studio execs would receive their bonuses), Cavill had to have the lower half of his face swapped out with a digital version because he wasn't allowed to shave off his Mission: Impossible - Fallout moustache. The result was laughable and faced widespread ridicule.
Alleged disagreements over money followed and, after Cavill refused to shoot a cameo in Shazam!, it seemed Warner Bros. was happy to move on without him.
Five years later, Dwayne Johnson used his sway as an A-List box office draw to force the studio's hand into bringing Cavill back for a cameo in Black Adam. That was done with the intention of setting up a Black Adam vs. Superman crossover, a movie Johnson and Warner Bros. were sure had all the makings of a mega-hit.
Even after word of Cavill's cameo was leaked in advance, Black Adam still flopped; there was still talk of a Man of Steel sequel, but after Warner Bros. was acquired by Discovery, the new leadership at the studio decided to take a different approach to its DC Comics adaptations by forming DC Studios.
Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad director James Gunn and veteran producer Peter Safran were tasked with taking charge of a new DCU and it only took them a couple of months to decide they didn't want Cavill.
Clearly unhappy, the actor issue a statement which read, "I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. 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. 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."
David Corenswet has since hired to star as Superman: Legacy's lead and there's a fair bit of excitement surrounding the movie. However, with yesterday marking the one-year anniversary of Cavill announcing his short-lived DCEU return, many fans have once again been making their disappointment known across social media.
Beyond the calls to #RestoreTheSnyderVerse, plenty of people are still upset with how Cavill was embarrassed but, as he says, it was a changing of the guard that he got caught in the middle of. A lot of fans are also resolute in their belief he should be brought back, though the moment for that has arguably passed (Gunn also made the decision to cut his cameo in The Flash).
Do you believe Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Studios were wrong to fire Cavill as Superman?