Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Superman: Is he9 Krypton or off?
Contract row could bring down Man of Steel Cavill SO, WHO CAN PICK UP THE CAPE?
HENRY Cavill could quit his Superman role in a studio row over a new contract. And his departure may open the door for the cinema’s first black Man of Steel with Michael B Jordan as a frontrunner to succeed him. Cavill is reported to have failed to get a deal with Warner Bros over a cameo in the next DC Universe film. Yesterday the 35-year-old Briton left fans confused after posting a video of himself weightlifting with a Superman doll captioned “Today was exciting #Superman”.
Meanwhile his agent Dany Garcia has denied he was leaving, tweeting: “The cape is still in his closet. [WB] has been and continues to be our partners as they evolve the DC Universe.” As the will-he? won’t-he? saga went on, bookies slashed the odds on Jersey-born Cavill replacing Daniel Craig as 007 after the next film from 16/1 to 8/1. One insider said: “If Henry hangs up his cape he would be free if Barbara Brocolli ever wanted him for Bond.”
Cavill starred in 2013’s Man of Steel, 2016’s Batman v Superman and 2017’s Justice League.
The uncertainty over his future exploded after he confirmed he would not do a much-anticipated cameo in next year’s Shazam!, a related film from DC Universe.
Warner Bros said their “great respect” for Cavill remains “unchanged” but confirmed “no decisions have been made regarding any upcoming Superman films”.
The studio had planned for Superman to be in Justice League 2 next year.
But the film disappeared from its schedule before the release of the troubled first Justice
League – in which
Superman teams up with Wonder Woman, Batman and other super heroes.
Last year Cavill was at the centre of moustache-gate. He grew facial hair for Mission Impossible – Fallout.
But when he was called for Justice League reshoots, MI’S makers refused to let him shave. Warners spent millions removing the tache with CGI but fans ridiculed the result.
Cavill’s reps did not respond to requests about when he might next appear as Superman. But one industry magazine said Warners were eyeing Michael B Jordan – the bookies’ 3-1 favourite – for the role “down the road”. Other names in the frame include Armie Hammer (10/1), Cillian Murphy (10/1), Bodyguard star Richard Madden (16/1) and Jon Hamm (25/1).