James Gunn has recalled the “terrible” way Henry Cavill was fired as Superman, admitting the British actor was treated “unfairly”.
The Guardians of the Galaxy director was hired by Warner Bros to oversee the studios’ DC output after a string of flops, and one of the first jobs on his list was to hire a brand new actor to play the man of steel.
However, Cavill had been prematurely told by Warner Bros that he would be returning as the superhero, and Gunn had to sit the actor down to tell him this was not the case.
“It’s terrible – believe it or not, the day we were dealing with trying to figure out if we could take the job at DC Studios, the day the deal closed, all of a sudden, they were announcing that Henry was back,” Gunn told Happy Sad Confused podcast.
“I was like, ‘What is going on? We know what the plan is. The plan was to come in and do Superman. It was really unfair to him and a total bummer.”
The director, whose new version of Superman is a box-office hit, continued: “There was a vacuum at the time and a lot of people had a take on what they wanted to do at DC and they were trying to force their way and it was just never part of the equation.
“We came in, and that was really unfortunate. I’m like, ‘This poor guy.’”
Gunn said Cavill took the news like an “absolute gentleman”.
“He said, the only thing I ask is that I’m able to reveal it myself as opposed to coming from you guys.’ And I’m like, ‘That’s a class act.’”
The director also said he “would love to put” Cavill in a future DC film, revealing: “I talked to him about it on that day.”
In December 2022, two months after Cavill was told he would reprise the role of Clark Kent/Superman, the actor wrote on Instagram: “I will, after all, not be returning as Superman.
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“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.”
Cavill starred as the character from 2013’s Man of Steel to Zack Snyder’s director’s cut of Justice League, released in 2021.
The new Superman stars David Coronswet in the lead role, with Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult playing Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, respectively.
In The Independent’s four-star review, critic Clarisse Loughrey said the reboot “doesn’t just serve as a referendum for superhero films, but for the cinematic future of DC as a whole”.
