Warner Bros.
- Henry Cavill will no longer play Superman, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
- THR reports that negotiations fell apart for Cavill to make a cameo in "Shazam!" next year.
- Warner Bros. will focus on a Supergirl movie instead.
It's up, up, and away from Superman for actor Henry Cavill.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, which cites anonymous sources, Cavill will no longer play Superman in future films. THR reports that negotiations broke down between Cavill and Warner Bros. over a cameo in next year's "Shazam!" due to scheduling conflicts, and the "door is now closing on other potential Superman appearances."
Warner Bros. did not immediately return a request for comment.
Cavill appeared in "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" this summer and was recently cast in a Netflix adaptation of "The Witcher" book series.
Warner Bros. is instead focusing on a Supergirl movie, according to THR, which would most likely write out Cavill's Superman from the film mythology.
Cavill appeared as Superman/Clark Kent in 2013's "Man of Steel," 2016's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," and last year's "Justice League." The latter two were critically panned, and "Justice League" was a box-office disappointment.
"There's a recognition that some parts of the previous movies didn't work," a source told THR.
Warner Bros. has been rethinking its superhero film strategy after "Justice League." Rather than a shared universe similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, future films will focus on standalone stories similar to "Wonder Woman," which only briefly alluded to a connection to a larger film universe.
"Aquaman" comes to theaters in December and will most likely distance itself from "Justice League," while "Shazam!," "Wonder Woman 1984," and "Joker" debut next year. A solo Batman movie is also in development which may or may not star Ben Affleck back in the title role.