Warner Bros. and Discovery is now Warner Bros. Discovery. The two studios closed on a $43 billion merger and both are now under one roof and one of the first things the new studio heads reportedly want is to revitalize Superman’s future in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).
Almost 10 years have passed since Zack Snyder launched the DCEU with his version of Superman in Man of Steel starring Henry Cavill as Kal-El/Clark Kent. The DC film was a hit at the box office, but fans who hoped for a sequel had to wait a few years for the character to return in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The movie combined two of DC Comic’s iconic story lines — The Death of Superman and loosely based on The Dark Knight Returns.
Cavill’s Superman was resurrected a year later in Justice League, which was a disappointment among fans until Snyder released his 4-hour Snydercut on HBO Max in 2021. Zack Snyder’s Justice League still had its issues but it was more of a hit among fans.
Warner Bros. plans for the DC Extended Universe has been constantly in motion, but Superman’s involvement has been very inconsistent starting with its star Henry Cavill. It has been uncertain if WB wants Cavill to return to the role though he has expressed it many times he would like to come back.
There was never any real progress for a Man of Steel sequel despite the interest from Cavill and directors. It was also revealed that Cavill and WB had contract issues.
Now with Warner Bros. Discovery, Superman will have his chance to fly high in the skies again. There are reports that Discovery wants to overhaul DC’s movies and TV. According to Variety, one of the studios’ priorities is utilizing more recognizable characters. The news outlet shared that Discovery’s interest in potentially revitalizing Superman comes from believing that “top-shelf characters such as Superman have been left to languish.” There are no further details on what that means, but it’s clear that WB’s new owners wants one of DC’s iconic characters back on the big screen.
The questions now are, will Warner Bros. Discovery bring back Henry Cavill to play the titular hero again, re-cast Superman in the DCEU, or reboot the character in his own universe similar to what Matt Reeves did with The Batman starring Robert Pattinson.
While everyone won’t agree on the potential new direction Warner Bros. Discovery will take, but Superman fans should be happy that the Kryptonian is making his return to the big screens.
