The DCEU has seven movies set for release between now and the end of 2022, but the one glaring omission is a standalone sequel for the superhero that kicked off the whole franchise. Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel acted as both a Superman reboot and the launchpad for the entire interconnected comic book series, but ever since then Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent has only been used as a supporting player, with constant doubt being cast over the actor’s future as the Big Blue Boy Scout.
There have been several rumored attempts at mounting a Man of Steel follow-up, but there’s also been just as much speculation that the title hero is set to be rebooted once again, with a new actor in the role. The whole DCEU has been quietly trying to distance itself from the Snyder era in recent years, but with Justice League teammates Wonder Woman and Aquaman still going strong, it seems a little strange that Superman still hasn’t been given a second outing.
Cavill hasn’t really been able to show what he can do as the Kryptonian demigod besides looking the part, and the snowball effect that saw Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League come so soon after the origin story also sidelined Man of Steel’s immensely talented supporting cast, with the likes of Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane reduced to bit-part players up to and including Justice League.
In a recent interview, Adams admitted that she would we more than willing to reprise the role of Lois Lane in a future DCEU project, but her comments make it sound as though that isn’t really a priority for Warner Bros. at the moment.
“I think the studio is moving in a different direction, from my understanding.”
That’s a short, sharp answer that certainly sounds as though there’s no Man of Steel sequel on the horizon anytime soon. Henry Cavill already has ideas on where he’d like to take the character if the movie ever ends up happening, but for one reason or another, it seems like the studio is keen to move forward with projects that fit the new creative direction of the DCEU, and Superman doesn’t seem to be a part of it.
