SUPERMAN: James Gunn Confirms Warner Bros. Wanted To Recast Henry Cavill Before He Helmed THE SUICIDE SQUAD

SUPERMAN: James Gunn Confirms Warner Bros. Wanted To Recast Henry Cavill Before He Helmed THE SUICIDE SQUAD

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has confirmed that Warner Bros. wanted him to recast Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel before 2021's The Suicide Squad and talks more about his approach to the Superman reboot.

By JoshWilding - Jun 15, 2025 03:06 PM EST
Filed Under: Superman
Source: Entertainment Weekly

In 2018, Disney fired James Gunn when a series of offensive past Tweets resurfaced. With fans, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's A-list cast, heavily criticising the decision, Warner Bros. wasted no time enlisting the filmmaker's services.

That led to Gunn helming 2021's The Suicide Squad. While he'd eventually return to Marvel Studios to finish the Guardians trilogy, Gunn's newfound relationship with the rival studio led to him eventually being appointed DC Studios co-CEO.

It's no secret that Warner Bros. offered Gunn a Superman movie before The Suicide Squad, but it wouldn't have been Man of Steel 2...or a movie starring Henry Cavill. Here's an excerpt from a recent Entertainment Weekly article:

Warner Bros. initially offered Gunn Superman prior to directing 2021's The Suicide Squad, back in the previous era of DC storytelling. Even then, before plans were firmly in place, the studio wanted a new actor to play Superman after Cavill, 'so it was even more messy than it is now,' Gunn says. But more importantly, he adds, 'I didn't have that special idea of what that [film] would be.'

This lines up with various reports claiming that Cavill had quietly been fired from the role of Superman after refusing to make a cameo appearance in 2019's Shazam!.

It wasn't until Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson went over his employers' heads to bring Cavill back for 2022's Black Adam that Warner Bros.' hand was forced, and Cavill was tapped to appear in The Flash and a potential Man of Steel follow-up. That never came to fruition, and when Gunn took over, he immediately decided to recast Superman's title role.

As for what that "special idea" ended up being, Gunn noted, "Over the years, the stories that I've told have gotten more…how to say it…less in your face. I wanted to tell the story about someone who was truly good in a world that doesn't value goodness, in a world that makes fun of basic kindness and basic human values."

"The fact that he can fly and lift buildings and shoot laser beams out of his eyes was really secondary to who he was as a person and what he stood for," he added.

Cavill's time as Superman came to an unceremonious end, and he didn't shy away from expressing his disappointment with Gunn's decision. However, he got to take another crack at a superhero with his unforgettable cameo as "The Cavillrine" in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.

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ProfessorWhy
ProfessorWhy - 6/15/2025, 3:30 PM
@SuperCat - Funko Pops:The Movie
SuperCat
SuperCat - 6/15/2025, 3:28 PM
User Comment Image
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 6/15/2025, 5:42 PM
@SuperCat -
DraculaX
DraculaX - 6/15/2025, 8:03 PM
@SuperCat - when you and bro partied a little bit too much the night before
99OPTIMISTPRIME
99OPTIMISTPRIME - 6/15/2025, 3:33 PM
I still hate the origin story. Where Gunn was basically begged to write and direct a Superman movie. But it looks like everything will work out fine.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 6/15/2025, 3:37 PM
Snyder ultimately failed him.
jst5
jst5 - 6/15/2025, 3:49 PM
@McMurdo - He just wasn't a very good Supes even with a better script.I like Cavill he's a bro....but he's not a very good actor and Supes does take some acting talent to pull off.Between him and Gadot...it was hard picking who was the was in the acting area.

It still annoys the crap out of me this fake smile Gadot use to do as WW during what was suppose to be a tease battle.She did that more than once.
JurassicClunge
JurassicClunge - 6/15/2025, 3:50 PM
@McMurdo - WBs did.

They kept snyder on after MOS, they then ruined JL and sucked off the first marvel director they could get their hands on (who wanted cavill nowhere any type of superman role) 😮‍💨
MisterBones
MisterBones - 6/15/2025, 3:57 PM
@jst5 - Cavill was just too wooden. You can see Corenswet has a natural and expressive charm, warmth, and charisma that is needed as Supes.
Fogs
Fogs - 6/15/2025, 4:54 PM
@jst5 - I didn't care for any eventual minor acting flaw. IMO the problem with the Snyderverse definitely wasn't the main cast, except Flash and Cyborg. I'd also have a different Aquaman version (ironically, closer to Oceanmaster), but that's me.
jst5
jst5 - 6/15/2025, 6:24 PM
@MisterBones -I agree.....Corenswet does seem to have the goods but it's going to come down to Gunn for us to see it.Reeve said playing Superman is a much harder acting deal than you'd think it would be.

My hope is the Gunn humor is very limited when we're seeing Superman...it's fine for when we're seeing Clark.
dagenspear
dagenspear - 6/15/2025, 8:16 PM
@JurassicClunge - You just described Snyder, who stripped Superman of any value as a character in his Snyder cut, beyond strong man punch villain really hard. Snyder's use of him was apparently so not wanting Superman, he wanted to make Superman's entire life about Batman.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 6/15/2025, 9:11 PM
@dagenspear - facts bro.
MuadDib
MuadDib - 6/15/2025, 3:47 PM
I think Gunns style could suite Superman better, even if Snyder did have great visuals. But Cavil is still a better looking Superman. Snyder was is at least partially to blame, kills Supes off in only his second outing, shoehorning Batman in before he had his own movie, and the unnecessarily dark theme and storyline for JL and beyond, w/ Lois and the baby etc was just a bit too much

Now we’re stuck w/ ol’cross eyes
JurassicClunge
JurassicClunge - 6/15/2025, 3:48 PM
Then they changed their minds, put him in the flash, told him to announce his return. Then gunn came in and put an end to Cavills supes for good. 😬
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 6/15/2025, 3:49 PM
Damn man , Cavill never really had a proper chance whether it was due to the direction and/or writing of his character or studio bollocks…

I always felt he had the potential as we saw in MOS but BVS dropped the ball imo and he never recovered since till his end.

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Anyway , can’t wait to see Corenswet’s take on the role since he’s seemed very good from what we’ve seen imo!!.
Ojeet78
Ojeet78 - 6/15/2025, 4:13 PM
@TheVisionary25 - Superman was simply a prop in BVS. As i recall he only had 43 lines of dialogue in his own movie.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 6/15/2025, 4:16 PM
@Ojeet78 - he’s barely a character in that if at all
bcom
bcom - 6/15/2025, 6:31 PM
@TheVisionary25 - This might be a controversial 'hot take', but as terrible as the theatrical version of JL was, Cavill's Superman in that was a far more accurate take on Superman than MoS and BvS. It gave me a glimmer of hope that if the DCEU continued that they might be heading in the right direction with Superman.

Now that we're getting a fresh take on Superman, everything I've seen so far leads me to believe that everyone involved 'gets' what makes Superman Superman.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 6/15/2025, 7:35 PM
@bcom - while he did feel to the point of caricature-ish at times , the TC JL was definitely better then the majority of his appearances
MuadDib
MuadDib - 6/15/2025, 3:49 PM
Hoping this makes big bucks they they finally greenlight the DCU Batman, bc it feels like everything has been on hold waiting to see how Superman does at the BO
JurassicClunge
JurassicClunge - 6/15/2025, 3:52 PM
I hope this bombs (it wont) but its only what WB deserve 😅😌
bobevanz
bobevanz - 6/15/2025, 5:05 PM
@JurassicClunge -
JurassicClunge
JurassicClunge - 6/15/2025, 5:11 PM
@bobevanz - yo mama 🤡😘🤡
dagenspear
dagenspear - 6/15/2025, 8:17 PM
@JurassicClunge - Ah, I figured you were one of them. Why do they deserve it?
JurassicClunge
JurassicClunge - 6/16/2025, 3:38 AM
@dagenspear - one of what lol?

I hate WB for everything they have done to DC. Every time they intervened and chopped up movies, the cancellation of bat girl for a tax write off
dagenspear
dagenspear - 6/16/2025, 1:40 PM
@JurassicClunge - How many people were involved in that, that are involved in this?
JurassicClunge
JurassicClunge - 6/16/2025, 2:56 PM
@dagenspear - well considering the main CEO David Zaslav became WB CEO in April 22 which was months before cavill announced his return and months before he cancelled batgirl for a tax write off. This was also before he begged gunn to take over the DCU I can safely say that the main reason I want WB is partly because of the current leadership 😌
JayWiIkes
JayWiIkes - 6/17/2025, 6:50 AM
@JurassicClunge - Enjoy seething in your basement forever, loser freakshow
JurassicClunge
JurassicClunge - 6/17/2025, 7:46 AM
@FsN - I'd never live in your mother's basement, that's your domain 👀

Stop rubbing one out to James Gunn and touch grass 😒😘
JayWiIkes
JayWiIkes - 6/17/2025, 7:54 AM
@JurassicClunge - The fact that you can't comprehend that people like myself (who actually had a private school education/have parents that actually love them/had parents that actually looked at them ever) can effortlessly figure out that pathetic life-failing rage-baby losers like yourself repeatedly project your laughably obvious miserable life situation onto others is just toooooooo funny X-)
JurassicClunge
JurassicClunge - 6/17/2025, 7:56 AM
@FsN - private school education? I very much doubt that based on your comments lmao. You sound like a neglected basement dweller who needs insult random people on the net to get some kind of self satisfaction 👀

If you did attend private school then you may need to go back because clearly it didn't work for you 😩

Don't forget to swallow when deep throating Gunn miss!
JayWiIkes
JayWiIkes - 6/17/2025, 8:04 AM
@JurassicClunge - "You sound like a neglected basement dweller who needs insult random people on the net to get some kind of self satisfaction"

*Checks JurassicCringe's total comments count and the comments themselves*

Pro......ject......harder.............freak ;- )
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 6/15/2025, 4:01 PM
Still think Cavill should be cast as DCU Batman.
TheStranger
TheStranger - 6/15/2025, 4:40 PM
@UltimaRex - That would be a very interesting move...
dragon316
dragon316 - 6/15/2025, 4:50 PM
@UltimaRex - then fans be complaining henry is 1 inch short to Bruce wayne in comics fans all read still do cry about jackman being 1 foot tall play Logan
dagenspear
dagenspear - 6/15/2025, 8:18 PM
@dragon316 - How is that the same? 1 inch isn't lesser to humans than 1 foot.
Ojeet78
Ojeet78 - 6/15/2025, 4:11 PM
Had they quietly made a sequel to Man of Steel and then a batman tease at the end, we could have avoided so much grief. Snyder was so intent on doing Dark Knight returns without laying any groundwork ,that it eventually made for a weak foundation.
BlackStar25
BlackStar25 - 6/15/2025, 5:01 PM
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Not shocking...Gotta get rid of the head of the snake if you wanna move on.
Matador
Matador - 6/16/2025, 9:15 AM
@BlackStar25 - LMAO that's the scene Cavill got sick from smoking cigars a bunch of times!
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