Henry Cavill knew his bleak Superman couldn’t please everyone.

With the DC Extended Universe in the rearview mirror, it’s the ideal time to mull over the mistakes the franchise made, starting with its first installment, Man of Steel.
Henry Cavill as Superman.
The Henry Cavill starrer made a reasonably impressive $668 million at the box office. Still, it left critics unimpressed after failing to stay true to DC Comics by presenting a bleak picture of the ever-so-bright Superman. Many felt it was out of character for him to cause so much destruction in his pursuit. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the second installment, planned to tackle the same issue, but ahead of its release, Cavill underlined he understands it’s not possible to please everyone.

The concluding part of Man of Steel sees Superman embroiled in a battle with General Zod through the skies of Metropolis, which finds itself in ruins.
Henry Cavill.
The loss of life and destruction became central to Bruce Wayne’s anger in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and raised curiosity among fans concerning the side of Superman – who juggles his responsibilities with his guilt – they will get to see in the second DC Extended Universe movie.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Henry Cavill was asked about handling the expectations of fans, who themselves were divided between wanting a too perfect Superhero or a flawed but authentic superhero. He responded:

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“I mean, it’s going to be impossible to please everyone anyway, but I think there is huge potential to provide Superman with the weakness that people crave in the future and expand upon story stuff without offending the lore of Superman. It’s a fine line to tread because we’re in a different age now, but I think we can tell a fascinating, interesting story where Superman has his weaknesses and is also doing the thing which we expect Superman to do. He’s being the ideal. It shouldn’t be easy to tell the story of Superman.”

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was equally bleak but knowing Batman’s persona, fans liked the tone much better. Apart from encouraging reviews, the Zack Snyder-directed film also grossed a staggering $873.6 million at the global box office.

Why Henry Cavill Isn’t Playing James Gunn’s DCU Superman

In this movie, Snyder addressed the issue of collateral damage in Superman’s fight sequences and it was made sure the battle scenes involving Cavill didn’t show any harm to civilians. As the DCEU progressed, Cavill became a fan-favorite among DC fans.

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Henry Cavill.
However, James Gunn entered the fray with his own vision, which included very different plans for Superman.

In December of 2022, Cavill confirmed he would not be returning as Superman, stating (via Instagram), “… This news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. The changing of the guard is something that happens.”

Gunn’s Superman: Legacy will launch the revamped DCU and will feature David Corenswet as Superman. The co-CEO of DC Studios supposedly wants to focus on an earlier part of Superman’s life. This made continuing with Cavill, 40, unfeasible.