Henry Cavill made a surprise announcement on Tuesday evening that he was no longer reprising his role as Superman.
It was announced in October that Cavill would return for the role, after he said over a year ago he no longer wanted to be part of the DC movie.
Cavill played Superman since 2013 for movie roles such as Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman, and appeared in a cameo in Black Adam earlier this year.
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Cavill released a statement on his Instagram, stating: “I will, after all, not be returning as Superman.
“After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.
“My turn to wear the cape has passed, but what Superman stands for never will. It’s been a fun ride with you all, onwards and upwards.”
The direction of the new Superman is headed by Guardians of the Galaxy director and DC Studios’ new co-chairman, James Gunn, who is writing the Superman movie with the help of Peter Safran.
According to reports, Gunn’s movie will focus on a younger Superman during his years as Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent.
Cavill also left his role as The Witcher, a hit fantasy series on Netflix based on a video game.
Gunn confirmed the reports on Twitter on Wednesday that the actor will not play Superman.
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He said: “Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year.
“Among those on the slate is Superman. 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.
“But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.”
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