Henry Cavill posted a baffling video to his Instagram account last night (September 12), as rumors swirled that he’s no longer playing Superman.
The Hollywood Reporter was first with the news that Henry is “out” as the superhero after negotiations for a cameo in Shazam! broke down. Superman was due to make a turn in the movie due out in April, given the two superheroes share the same universe (the DC Extended Universe, or DCEU, to be exact), but Henry was unable to find the time necessary due to other commitments.
Those commitments include The Witcher, the Netflix adaption of the popular fantasy series in which he’ll play the lead role, and Nomis, an upcoming psychological thriller that sees him star alongside Sir Ben Kingsley and Stanley Tucci.
As a result, reports say Warner Bros has decided to part ways the actor, who has played Kal-El in Man of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017).
But let’s not start planning his farewell party just yet. It’s possible the reports have got it wrong or jumped the gun. Warner Bros responded to the speculation last night (September 12), but refused to confirm or deny Henry’s departure.
“While no decisions have been made regarding any upcoming Superman films, we’ve always had great respect for and a great relationship with Henry Cavill, and that remains unchanged,” a spokesperson said.
Hmm. Okay. Then Henry posted the following video of himself in a t-shirt that says “Krypton Lifting Team” as he lifts a Superman doll, captioned “Today was exciting #Superman”:
And is that a dog barking to the tune of “The Blue Danube” in the background?! To describe this post as merely cryptic doesn’t quite do it justice.
Henry has form making silly videos for the internet. In March he posted one in tribute to his mustache, which had served him well for his Mission: Impossible role. This one, though, is the strangest yet — and leaves us none the wiser as to what’s going on.
An unnamed studio insider shed more light, comparing the character of Superman to James Bond: “After a certain run you have to look at new actors,” the source reportedly said, adding that some at the studio acknowledge “some parts of the previous movies didn’t work.”
Reviews were certainly mixed for Justice League, but perhaps the “parts” they’re referring to here were Henry’s Mission: Impossible upper lip whiskers, which famously had to be airbrushed out of the film’s outtakes when he refused to shave them off.
Would you be sad to see Henry bid farewell to Superman?