Is Henry Cavill returning as Superman?

Chris Tilly
henry-cavill-as-superman-in-man-of-steel

The superhero rumor mill is filled with stories about Henry Cavill returning as Superman this week. And with the Warner Bros. Comic-Con panel just 48 hours away, the smart money is on any announcement happening there.

Henry Cavill has played Superman three times via Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League. Or three-and-a-half times if you count Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

But it’s been diminishing returns in terms of the popularity of the films. While by appearing in team-up movies, Superman’s role has been diminishing, taking a back seat to the likes of Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Batman.

But if the social media grapevine is to be believed, Henry Cavill will be making some kind of announcement at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend.

What has Henry Cavill said about returning as Superman?

Henry Cavill has made no secret about his desire to tell more Superman stories. And while promoting Season 2 of The Witcher, he told Collider this:

“I felt like Man of Steel was a wonderful opening story, an origin story to Superman. It left a lot of space for him to grow beyond that and become the hero that we recognize. Batman v Superman took a hard turn down a darker route and it was a Batman perspective story and so it didn’t really show the aspects of Superman which I was very, very keen to show.

“Justice League Snyder Cut definitely leant into that a bit more. I had a bit more of a gentleness to the tone of the thing, but I would love to have the opportunity to play the Superman that we all know and love from the comics, as a continuation of his development and we see the hero. That would be really, really exciting for me because there is an opportunity to tell a lot of interesting story there.

“It’s just about finding the right hooks to have a character that is as good and idealistic as Superman, that there are wonderful opportunities to delve into what it’s like to exist as him and those hardships that come with that. When you have to save everyone, how hard is that on you? That could be an interesting line to run.”

Will Henry Cavill announce Superman’s return at Comic-Con?

If Henry Cavill is announcing a new Superman movie this weekend, it will happen at the Warner Bros. panel, which is at 10.15am PT on Saturday.

But – and this is a big but – Dwayne Johnson is appearing on that panel to promote Black Adam, and he’s been talking up a collaboration with Cavill for years now.

Back in 2016, Dwayne Johnson posted a picture of the pair with the words “we’re excited for what the future brings,” alongside the hashtags #Superman and #DCWorldsWillCollide.

Then at the start of this month, he Tweeted the fact that he always listens to the audience, alongside some fan art combining Superman and Black Adam…

So don’t be surprized if Henry Cavill is onstage at Comic-Con, but rather than announcing standalone Superman, he’s promoting a Black Adam cameo.

Either way, we’ll find out in just over 48 hours. And if you want to see what else is happening at Comic-Con, check out our schedule.

About The Author

Chris Tilly is the TV and Movies Editor at Dexerto. He has a BA in English Literature, an MA in Newspaper Journalism, and over the last 20 years, he's worked for the likes of Time Out, IGN, and Fandom. Chris loves Star Wars, Marvel, DC, sci-fi, and especially horror, while he knows maybe too much about Alan Partridge. You can email him here: chris.tilly@dexerto.com.