Inspired fan-casting offers the perfect way to get Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck back in James Gunn’s DCU

For better or for worse, a whole new chapter of the DCU will be getting underway in 2025 when James Gunn and Peter Safran’s ‘Gods and Monsters’ arc kicks off. 

Of course, the path that lead to this moment wasn’t without its collateral damage, with Henry Cavill being infamously ousted from his role as Superman mere months after teasing a return to the character in Black Adam’s post-credits scene. The titular hero of that film, played by Dwayne Johnson, was also given the boot.

That said, someone on Twitter has made quite an interesting fancasting which could see fan-favorite actors Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck return to the DC Universe in one of Gunn’s upcoming films, The Authority. 

The Twitter user, going by ‘Croc,’ has thrown out the idea that Cavill could portray Apollo, while Affleck could bring life to Midnighter, two powerful members of the ruthless team who are in a same-sex relationship to boot. 

Depending on how Gunn is approaching the characters and their history in DC comic canon, casting Cavill and Affleck in these roles would circumvent the age issue which seemed to prevent Cavill from reprising his role as Clark Kent, with Gunn aiming to cast younger actors who can reprise their roles for the next 10-15 years. 

While in the eyes of many DC fans, Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck will always be Superman and Batman, perhaps seeing them again in somewhat similar, albeit more morally gray, roles in the DCU will serve as some form of consolation. 

We’ve got a bit of a wait ahead of us to see how it all plays out, but perhaps The Flash will help set the stage for the next chapter of the DCU, and what it’s going to look like, before it kicks off in earnest in 2025.