Why DC Isn’t Making Man of Steel 2

According to a new report, Man of Steel 2 is not in development at DC Films, despite Henry Cavill re-entering negotiations to play Superman on the big screen again. Released in 2013, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel was the first movie in Warner Bros.’ planned DC Extended Universe, and in 2014 Warner Bros. announced that a sequel was in development alongside a massive slate of connected DC movies. Six years later, it looks like Man of Steel 2 is dead – but why?

The primary reason is the downturn in popularity that the DCEU faced after Man of Steel – first with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, which pleased many die-hard fans but alienated critics and general audiences, and then with the widely-maligned Justice League. The latter movie marked a turning point for the DCEU, with Warner Bros. shifting focus away from Batman and Superman and towards Wonder Woman (whose solo movie had been a big success), Aquaman (whose solo film had already wrapped filming by the time of Justice League‘s release, and was also a success), and popular offshoot characters like the Joker and Harley Quinn. Meanwhile, spinoffs featuring Justice League characters Cyborg and the Flash have suffered long delays. Warner Bros. showed every sign of wanting to leave Snyder’s DC vision behind – including Man of Steel 2.

In 2018, THR reported that Cavill was “out” as Superman after contract negotiations between the studio and Cavill’s reps broke down. This was evidenced by the Superman cameo in 2019’s Shazam!, which Warner Bros. had been trying to get Cavill for, but which ended up being played by a different actor (the movie got around the problem by not showing Superman’s face). As is standard for any blockbuster movie with sequel potential, Cavill’s original contract had him attached to a certain number of movies in the franchise – four movies, to be exact. That means he could return for one more movie on the current contract, but Cavill and Warner Bros. need a new contract for anything more than that.

Cavill is now reportedly in talks to reprise his role as Superman, but Man of Steel 2 isn’t in development. DC’s planned Supergirl movie is also reportedly on hold, so it’s unlikely he’ll appear there either. Warner Bros. is likely planning his return in either Aquaman 2, Shazam! 2, Black Adam, or possibly The Flash, but it doesn’t seem like the studio wants Superman back as a central character just yet. Ben Affleck’s Batman has been shed entirely, with the role recast for Matt Reeves’ upcoming soft reboot The Batman.

Despite the many criticisms aimed at Man of Steel, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, audiences and reviewers generally took issue with Snyder’s vision rather than Cavill’s performance. The fact that Warner Bros. is seeking his return is a positive sign, and the fact that there’s no solo Superman movie in development at the moment doesn’t mean that there won’t be in the near future. It could well be the case that DC Films plans to bring Cavill’s Superman back in a smaller role to gauge if audiences want to see more of him, before committing to making him the star of his own movie once again. For those who were looking forward to Man of Steel 2, this news is definitely a positive sign.

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Hannah Shaw-Williams
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Hannah has been with Screen Rant since 2013, covering news, features, movie premieres, Comic-Con and more! You can follow her on Twitter @HSW3K

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