Shortly after Henry Cavill’s departure from the Superman role, Warner Bros. officially launched a new batch of DC Universe (DCU) films, among them 2013’s Man of Steel.
Superman will be relaunched without Henry Cavill as Clark Kent, according to DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, who will now be in charge of the DC Universe. For fans who had been hoping to see Cavill reprise the role, which became a reality in 2022, this came as a huge letdown.
Cavill made his first canon appearance in the DC Universe since 2017’s Justice League in the post-credits sequence of Black Adam, giving fans a chance to celebrate his comeback at the film’s release. Then, more than 10 years after his first film launched the DC Extended Universe, reports hinted at preparations for him to eventually be in line to direct Man of Steel 2. However, once Gunn and Safran came over, all of that was for nought.
Now, weeks after that reality sank in, fans were made aware of the letdown by a statement from the DCU’s parent corporation that was released at the wrong moment.
Awfully Timed Superman Movie Bundle from Warner Bros.
Man of Steel from 2013 and Black Adam from 2022 are included in a new 2-Film Collection from Warner Bros. that was made available digitally on December 16 through iTunes, Vudu, the Microsoft Store, and other retailers for $29.99.
Unfortunately, Henry Cavill’s departure as Superman was revealed by DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn the day before this package was launched. In addition, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson announced his temporary departure from the DC Universe just four days before.
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What Motivated Warner Bros. to Release the Superman Bundle?
Sadly, this bundle was probably part of Black Adam’s distribution strategy before the film opened in theatres last Fall. These kind of releases are often prepared months in advance, regardless of any unforeseen events.
Beyond that, though, it’s terrible to see that it still happened despite all the adjustments Warner Bros.’ plans for the DC Universe underwent. Even if this release wasn’t on Gunn and Safran as leaders and less than a week after Black Adam made its appearance, it demonstrates that the previous management didn’t precisely consider what the audience would perceive
Regardless of who caused this accident, it seems only appropriate given how radically things have shifted in terms of the future of the DCU. The only remaining doubts concern what Gunn and Safran have in store for their upcoming DC projects; additional information should become available in the coming weeks.
Both Man of Steel and Black Adam may be purchased anywhere movies are sold..