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Henry Cavill reportedly out as Superman in DC movies

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's ... a new Superman? The report sparks interest in whether Ben Affleck may be done playing Batman.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
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Gael Cooper
2 min read
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Henry Cavill, seen here in 2013's Man of Steel, may be out of his Superman role.

Warner Bros.

Look, up in the sky. It's a possible big shakeup in the DC cinematic universe.

The super-buzz on Wednesday surrounded a report by The Hollywood Reporter that Henry Cavill, who starred as Superman in three DC universe films, will no longer play the hero.

"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 Warner Bros. spokesperson said in a statement.

Cavill's manager, Dany Garcia, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but did tweet a message that seemed to suggest Cavill wasn't done playing the big guy just yet.

"Be peaceful, the cape is still in his closet. @wbpictures has been and continues to be our partners as they evolve the DC Universe," Garcia wrote in the tweet.

You don't need X-ray vision to see that Cavill is in demand. He recently signed on to star in Netflix's The Witcher series, which will adapt the book and video game series of the same name.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. wanted Cavill to make a super-cameo in the 2019 Shazam movie, and negotiations broke down over that role. Another solo Superman film isn't planned in the near future, the report said. 

"Superman is like James Bond, and after a certain run you have to look at new actors," a studio source told THR.

If Cavill is in fact moving on, he may not be the only superhero who's ready to hang up his cape. The report says  Ben Affleck , who has played Batman in DC films alongside Cavill's Superman, isn't expected to play the Caped Crusader in director Matt Reeves' 2019 film. The studio did not immediately comment on rumors about Affleck's exit, but in 2017, the actor said he knew the role wasn't permanent.

"You don't do it forever," Affleck said at the time, "so I want to find a graceful and cool way to segue out of it." 

First published, Sept. 12, 10:20 a.m. PT. 
Update, 10:48 a.m. PT: Adds tweet from Cavill's manager.

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