#NotTheMustache: Understanding why Henry Cavill may have hung his Superman-cape
What's the story
Henry Cavill is leaving the DC Universe as Superman in a shocking turn of events. We saw him as the Kryptonian in 'Man of Steel', 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' and 'Justice League'. However, he appears to be parting ways with Warner Bros. Reportedly, the exit followed after talks broke down regarding his cameo in DC's 'Shazam!' The much-talked-about mustache isn't the reason.
Scheduling conflict
All you need is timing, but that's a drag
Cavill was supposed to have a cameo appearance in 'Shazam!'. The film stars Zachary Levi and will release on April 5. While the need for Superman's cameo is understandable, as DC comic lore shows Shazam idolizing Superman as his hero, but Cavill exited after scheduling conflicts couldn't be resolved. This is backed by the fact that he recently signed for Netflix's 'The Witcher' series.
Supergirl
A new superhero is born
A contrary report suggests that Cavill signed for 'The Witcher' after the studio reached an impasse due to the new direction it was taking. This included shifting focus to a Supergirl movie. The origin story focusing on the teen superheroine cannot have any place for a Superman of Cavill's age. According to comic lore, Kal-El also known as Superman, would be an infant then.
Franchise expansion
Expansion has no space for nostalgia
Warner Bros is looking to expand their film universe and have no plans of making a Superman stand-alone film in the near future. Furthermore, none of Cavill's DC movies garnered a lot of appreciation from fans or critics. Cavill, thus, joins Affleck in exiting the franchise. The latter is not appearing in Matt Reeves' stand-alone Batman movie.
Studio strategy
A new direction home
DC is looking to hit a reset button so they are not constantly bested by Marvel in both box-office collections and critical reception. With that in mind, they are turning to new heroes like Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa's Aquaman and Ezra Miller's Flash, with hope. Notably, John Starkey, WarnerMedia CEO said, "In particular at DC, we all think we can do better".
Theory
Is Henry Cavill still the Superman?
Despite everything, the studio has officially said that they have great respect for Cavill which remains unchanged. Cavill's agent too confirmed that the Superman costume was still in Cavill's closet and fans could be at peace. Further, the actor's cryptic Instagram post of him lifting a Superman figurine might suggest that Cavill is still a part of the DC Universe.