Henry Cavill was initially slated to return to his iconic role as Superman in Man of Steel 2, but the sequel was eventually canceled by DC Studios.

Henry Cavill’s Superman sequel, Man of Steel 2, was tragically canceled in the months surrounding the reveal of James Gunn’s DCU.

Cavill’s depiction of Superman has been largely lauded ever since he debuted in 2013’s Man of Steel, after which he reprised his role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and most recently, Black Adam.

For his part, Cavill was also a fan of the role, with his departure being one of the more controversial consequences of the DCU’s existence.

It wasn’t, of course, always supposed to be this way. Man of Steel remains one of the DCEU’s most successful movies, which practically necessitated a solo sequel for the titular hero.

Instead, the ill-fated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice saw him share the screen with the Caped Crusader, with middling to poor reviews spelling the beginning of the end of the DCEU as it became an early example of the DCEU’s mismanagement of these beloved IPs. Still, Man of Steel 2 was planned right up until the DCEU’s death knell.

Man of Steel 2013

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 2016

Justice League 2017

Zack Snyder’s Justice League 2021

Black Adam (cameo) 2022