Look past the crisis the DC movie universe seems to be in right now and you'll see a plan taking shape

• Confusion has swirled in recent months around the future of the DC movie universe.
• But a plan is taking shape, based on what new DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn and others have confirmed.

On the surface, the DC movie universe appears to be in crisis right now.

Reports and speculation have swirled about what new DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran have planned for the franchise, stirring confusion and responses from Gunn himself, actors, and filmmakers.

If you look beyond the mess, a plan seems to be taking shape. But there will be some casualties on the road to the new 10-year plan for the DC universe.

Superman and Wonder Woman are heading for big changes

One casualty of Gunn and Safran's vision is Henry Cavill, who played Superman in "Man of Steel," "Batman v Superman," and "Justice League."

Both Gunn and Cavill confirmed on social media this week that the actor wouldn't be reprising his role. Gunn, who directed Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie and DC's "The Suicide Squad," said that he is writing a new Superman movie focused on a younger version of the character, but that it wouldn't be an origin story.

"In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman's life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill," Gunn tweeted.

Gunn added that he and Safran met with Cavill about "a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future," suggesting Cavill could play a different DC character.

Gunn and Safran also appear to be rethinking the future of Wonder Woman.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported last week that the third "Wonder Woman" movie would no longer be moving forward in its current form, and that it didn't fit in with the future of the new DC film universe.

The Wrap then reported that director Patty Jenkins had walked away from the project after rejecting studio notes, prompting Jenkins to dispute the report.

"I never walked away," Jenkins said in a statement on Twitter. "I was open to considering anything asked of me. It was my understanding there was nothing I could do to move anything forward at this time."

It leaves Wonder Woman actor Gal Gadot's future in the role up in the air for the time being.

Standalone DC movies will still exist outside of the new universe

So what of DC's other major character?

Variety reported this week that Gunn and Safran were considering implementing the world of "The Batman" in their wider universe. Gunn called the report "entirely untrue" on Twitter.

"The Batman," which earned $770 million worldwide earlier this year, was conceived as separate from the larger, connected universe, and a sequel is already in the works.

Gunn tweeted last month that some standalone DC projects would still exist outside of his and Safran's planned universe. That would presumably also include "Joker" and its upcoming sequel.

But another Batman could be returning to the new DC universe, in another capacity. Ben Affleck, who played the character in "Batman v Superman" and "Justice League," wants to direct a future DC movie and has met with Gunn and Safran, Gunn tweeted this week.

Before Gunn and Safran can implement their vision, they have to get through the next year of DC movies, which were greenlit and made before they took over. They include "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" in March; "The Flash" in June; "Blue Beetle" in August; and "Aquaman and the Lost City" in December.

It's unclear how these movies could, or if they even would, play a role in their plans, and they carry their own baggage (controversy has swirled around "The Flash," in particular, with star Ezra Miller pleading not guilty to burglary and petit larceny charges in October).

But based on initial reports and Gunn's comments, we now know:

• Henry Cavill won't be playing Superman in favor of a younger version of the character.
• The third "Wonder Woman" movie is on ice.
• "The Batman" will remain a standalone world, separate from the new DC universe.
• Ben Affleck has expressed an interest in directing a DC movie.

Gunn teased his overall vision last month in a series of tweets, noting that he and Safran are focused on "the story going forward, hammering out the new DCU, & telling the Biggest Story Ever Told across multiple films, television shows, & animated projects."