Since Gunn announced that Henry Cavill would not be returning to the role due to the DC Universe reboot being centered on a younger Clark Kent, there have been an increasing number rumors and fan-castings as to which young actor could be a perfect fit. Gunn himself is writing the script and reassured fans that Superman is one of the highest priorities in the reimagined DCEU.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) January 13, 2023 However, James Gunn himself quashed any discussion and rumors of Elordi’s casting: Jacob Elordi is one of the names of young and up-and-coming actors that have been mentioned in discussions regarding the rebooted Superman casting. Elordi is known for his roles in HBO’s teen drama Euphoria, where he stars with Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney, as well as The Kissing Booth on Netflix. Aside from Elordi, actor David Corenswet was also recently speculated to be a good fit for the role of Superman. In the past, multiple actors have essayed the role of the Man of Steel in live action. Kirk Alyn was the first actor to wear the cape in the 1948 Superman film serials before later being played by George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Dean Cain, Tom Welling, Brandon Routh, and Tyler Hoechlin. British actor Henry Cavill had been the Big Blue Boy Scout since 2013’s Man of Steel directed by Zack Snyder. But due to mixed reactions and unstable box office success of the DC Extended Universe, Cavill had been absent from the role until his brief cameo at the end credits in last year’s Black Adam. The film’s star and producer Dwayne Johnson even had to fight with Warner Bros. executives and go directly to upper management to make the Superman cameo happen. Fans responded positively to Cavill reprising the role and were looking forward to his return in a solo movie. However, even with Cavill himself confirming his return on social media and stating there is “more to come”, James Gunn later officially announced that the British actor was not a fit for the new DC Universe. After taking over as co-CEO of DC Studios with producer Peter Safran as of November 1, 2022, the Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad director has had controversial announcements about the future of Warner Bros. Discovery’s superhero cinematic universe. Aside from the unpopular decision to not continue with Henry Cavill as Superman, Gunn also confirmed that the Wonder Woman 3 script proposed by director Patty Jenkins was declined. There are also rumors that Henry Cavill’s and Gal Gadot’s cameos have been removed in the upcoming The Flash movie starring Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck, and Sasha Calle. Although the Superman casting has been debunked, it is expected Gunn and Safran will be making major announcements regarding the DC Universe before the end of January 2023.
