I'm So Here For Henry Cavill's Poking Fun At The DCEU Era

Summary Henry Cavill poked fun at his failed Superman return, showing his comfort joking about his DCEU past.

Despite long-time Superman future speculation, Cavill's exit was confirmed with the announcement of a Superman reboot.

Cavill endured challenges in the DCEU, but is now thriving in exciting upcoming projects post-Superman.

Recently, Henry Cavill poked fun at his failed Superman return in the Black Adam post-credits scene, showing he's now far removed enough from his DCEU tenure that he feels comfortable joking about it, which is great to see. For many years, Cavill's Superman future after Justice League remained in doubt, with some 2018 reports claiming he'd exited the franchise. Though he appeared in Zack Snyder's Justice League in 2021, it wasn't until the Black Adam post-credits scene that Cavill's Superman return seemed to be confirmed. However, then DC Studios announced a Superman reboot that would kick off the new DC Universe, essentially marking Cavill's exit as Superman.

Cavill referenced the Black Adam credits scene in recent comments he made before a screening of his new movie, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. As reported by Business Insider, Cavill spoke about a post-credits scene he did for a previous non-DC movie, before saying, "Turns out, I don't have much luck with post-credit scenes, so I may give up on those." It's clearly a quick, self-deprecating joke about his short-lived Superman return that shows he holds no ill will toward the DCEU, which is good to see because the actor deserves better.

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Henry Cavill's Superman Deserved An Iron Man-Level Sendoff

The Actor Helped Launch The DCEU In 2013

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A lot about the DCEU was mishandled, but perhaps nothing more than Cavill's tenure as Superman.

Though the DCEU launched a few years after the creation of the MCU, it was essentially Warner Bros' answer to Marvel Studios' massively popular franchise. Just as the MCU kicked off with Robert Downey Jr.'s beloved portrayal of Tony Stark in Iron Man, Cavill's debut as Clark Kent aka Superman in Man of Steel was the launchpad for the DCEU. However, after the critical railing against Batman v Superman and the unmitigated disaster of Justice League — neither of which were Cavill's fault — it seemed the studio was content with letting its biggest hero fade into the background.

Certainly, a lot about the DCEU was mishandled, but perhaps nothing more than Cavill's tenure as Superman. The actor's portrayal of one of DC's most famous heroes is beloved by many, with audiences across the world calling him their definitive Superman. The enthusiasm for Cavill's Superman was there, but the studio never properly capitalized on it. So when the DCEU's ending was announced in late 2022, just days after Cavill made his triumphant return as Superman, it was another insult added to injury. Cavill should've been the DCEU's RDJ, but he was never given a proper chance.

Henry Cavill Has Earned The Right To Poke Fun At The DCEU

From His Lack Of A Proper Man of Steel Sequel To The Infamous Mustache Removal

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During his time in the DCEU, Cavill had to endure quite a few indignities. There was Batman v Superman's critical thrashing and the lack of a Man of Steel sequel, but perhaps the worst was the mustache debacle on Justice League. The movie was originally directed by Zack Snyder, but when he stepped away before completing the film, Warner Bros. brought in Joss Whedon to direct reshoots. However, Cavill had already grown a mustache for his role in Christopher McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and he couldn't shave it. As a result, WB had to use CGI to remove Cavill's mustache from the Justice League reshoots footage, leading to a strange uncanny valley appearance in the theatrical cut.

Though Man of Steel 2 has often been discussed, it was never officially confirmed by Warner Bros. or DC Films.

Because of his infamous mustache, Cavill became the butt of many jokes and memes across the internet. Then that became the last audiences saw of Cavill's Superman until Zack Snyder's Justice League in 2021, which used the original footage. The next time viewers saw Cavill in a new movie was Black Adam's post-credits scene, only for the actor to be ousted from the role days later. Given everything Cavill experienced during his time in the DCEU, he has suffered more than enough to be able to joke about it if he wants to. And perhaps Cavill should joke about it — it could give both him and audiences the closure they need after the DCEU's unceremonious ending.

Henry Cavill Has Plenty Of Exciting Upcoming Projects After His DCEU Exit

Cavill's New Movie The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Is Now In Theaters

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Thankfully for fans of the actor's work, Cavill is plenty busy despite having no DC projects on the horizon. He's currently starring in Guy Ritchie's latest movie, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, about a team of special operatives tasked with a secret mission during World War II. Cavill is also reteaming with Ritchie on a new movie called In the Grey, which co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal. The actor has additionally been cast in the adaptation of Graeme Simsion's novel The Rosie Project.

Henry Cavill's Upcoming Projects Title Release Year The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare 2024 Highlander TBD The Rosie Project TBD In The Grey 2025 Warhammer 40,000 TBD

Perhaps more excitingly, Cavill is set to star in a reboot of Highlander, which puts him in the fantasy universe established by the original 1986 movie. Additionally, the actor is attached to produce an adaptation of Warhammer 40,000, which he's expressed a great deal of passion for in interviews over the years. With Cavill set to appear in a number of projects he seems passionate about, it's good to see him moving on from the DCEU and flourishing in his post-Superman career.

Though many might still wonder what could have been if Cavill had been given a proper chance at returning as Superman after Black Adam, the actor has proven time and again that he can be successful in other roles. Still, it's fun to see Cavill joke about the DCEU — not only because he's earned the right, but because it brings some levity to a period of his career that was often mired in criticism and controversy. So, if Cavill's now in his poking fun at the DCEU era, then we're here for it.

Black Adam Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Jaume Collet-Serra Release Date October 21, 2022 Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers C.C. Beck , Otto Binder , Rory Haines , Sohrab Noshirvani , Adam Sztykiel Cast Noah Centineo , Pierce Brosnan , Mo Amer , Marwan Kenzari , Aldis Hodge , Bodhi Sabongui , Uli Latukefu , James Cusati-Moyer , Dwayne Johnson , Sarah Shahi , Quintessa Swindell Runtime 2h 5m