Will Henry Cavill play Superman again? The state of DC's superstar explained

The Man of Steel has been replaced in the DC Universe, and people have been left wondering whether Henry Cavill will play Superman ever again. There’s no denying the fact that Cavill was a great Superman. But unfortunately, James Gunn and co. will be on the hunt for a young actor to be the new Clark Kent, who would carry the mantle for the next decade.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Henry Cavill’s run as Superman has ended. There still might be some hope for him and his fans. And this hope comes from James Gunn himself.

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Will Henry Cavill play Superman again in the future?

Just as Henry Cavill announced his exit, James Gunn also tweeted that he’d be excited to work with Cavill in the future. Many people believe that this will not happen because of how Cavill was pushed out, and he may not want to return as a different character.

Cavill has always wanted to star in Man of Steel 2, but he and Warner Bros. could never reach any common ground. Just as it was about to happen with a narrative involving Brainiac, James Gunn got picked as the new head of DC alongside Peter Safran, and they decided to reboot the entire franchise and start from scratch.

However, it’s important to note that before teasing his recent plans, Gunn also tweeted an image of the Kingdom Come storyline. Although the DC head was concocting his plan for the upcoming DCU slate, it could also be interpreted as a tease of his future plans involving the Kingdom Come storyline, which will feature Henry Cavill as an older, edgier version of Superman.

Kingdom Come was released in 1994, and it involved an aging, "old-fashioned" generation of DC superheroes such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman on an alternate Earth. They geared up to battle a new generation of violent superheroes who were no less than the villains.

One of the protagonists was an older, white-haired Superman who faced hostility from other superheroes who felt he had abandoned them. He came back to Earth to restore truth and justice, and Cavill could do something similar in a future multiversal event that taps nostalgia.

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Could Henry Cavill return as Kingdom Come Superman?

Kingdom Come Superman (Image via DC)

Those inquiring about Cavill's return as Superman and whether it will be possible again might find their answers in the Kingdom Come storyline. Back when the Arrowverse was in full flow, the crossover storyline inspired by Crisis on Infinite Earths featured Brandon Routh as a version of Kingdom Come Superman. So, the same could be done in James Gunn’s new DCU.

Even though Gunn is planning to establish a new Superman and Justice League, he could build up to a Crisis on Infinite Earths multiversal event in the future. And that’s where Gunn could keep up his promise of working with Cavill by bringing him back as this salt-and-pepper-haired Superman.

Superman still from Man of Steel (Image via DC)

It comes across as a great idea. But given the circumstances of Cavill’s exit, he may not want to return as Superman if Gunn’s DCU also starts to fail. Then again, who has seen the future? Cavill went from being the Witcher and Superman to joining the Warhammer series within a span of a month. So, simply, anything could happen.