James Gunn admits Henry Cavill’s Superman firing was ‘terrible’

James Gunn has opened up on the ‘really unfair’ way Henry Cavill was fired from DC and his role as Superman.

The Witcher star first appeared as the caped superhero in 2013’s Man of Steel before starring as Superman in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

He also appeared in Zack Snyder’s Justice League in 2021 and made a cameo appearance in 2022’s Black Adam.

Cavill announced in 2022 he would be returning to the role in Gunn’s reimagining of the franchise, only to walk back on his comments months later when he was let go by DC.

Superman, released earlier this month, stars Pearl actor David Corenswet in the titular role instead.

Recalling the incident, Gunn condemned DC Studios for their handling of Cavill’s role in the film.

‘It’s terrible – believe it or not, the day we were dealing with trying to figure out if we could take the job at DC Studios, the day the deal closed, all of a sudden, they were announcing that Henry was back,’ he told the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

‘I was like, “What is going on? We know what the plan is. The plan was to come in and do Superman. It was really unfair to him and a total bummer.”

‘There was a vacuum at the time and a lot of people had a take on what they wanted to do at DC and they were trying to force their way and it was just never part of the equation.’

He went on to say the situation was ‘really unfortunate’ and he felt for the ‘poor guy’, but that Cavill took the news like an ‘absolute gentleman.’

‘He said, “The only thing I ask is that I’m able to reveal it myself as opposed to coming from you guys.” And I’m like, “That’s a class act”,’ he continued.

Gunn also said he would love to have Cavill in a future DC film, revealing he ‘talked to him about it on that day.’

Cavill shared the news he would not be returning in an Instagram post, writing: ‘I will, after all, not be returning as Superman.

‘After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life.

‘The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.’

Gunn’s Superman was released on July 11 and currently holds an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with several glowing reviews.

It sees Corenswet’s Superman drawn into conflict and the public questioning his actions, giving tech billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) the opportunity to rid the world of Superman for good.

On taking on the role and being propelled from a relative unknown actor to one of the world’s most recognisable superheroes, Corenswet opened up to Metro about how he handled the news.

‘Oh, I just played solitaire by myself and panicked quietly,’ he said on the red carpet at London’s Superman Fan Event. 

‘No, I had the opportunity to tell about six or seven people who I was close to and just kind of relished in this one hour where I had a big secret that nobody else knew about,’ he continued.

‘It’s a rare moment in life, so I tried to be present with it and not be too overwhelmed.

‘I got to tell my wife and a couple of family members and then just sat in a chair and waited for the news to break.’

Thankfully, once David’s not-so-secret identity had been exposed, he could rely on other actors who’ve slipped into Superman’s red Speedos for advice.

‘I was lucky enough to exchange letters with Tyler Hoechlin and Henry Cavill, two fellas who have played Superman before me,’ he explained.

Despite initial backlash over Cavill being replaced, Corenswet appears to have won fans over with his appearance in Gunn’s Superman.

‘There aren’t enough words to describe just how much I love david corenswet as superman, and just how much of a masterpiece superman (2025) is,’ Cntarogothic wrote on X.

‘The thing is, sure, Henry Cavill played Superman, but David Corenswet IS Superman. Just, straight up,’ Noodles_and_tea added.

StacyH90 admitted: ‘I was a big fan of Henry Cavill’s Superman, and was bummed when it was clear we weren’t getting more of him. But hot dayum David Corenswet really holds his own! He IS Superman! The man that could kill us all w/ a twitch of a finger but chooses to do good, saving squirrels too.’

Cree reasoned: ‘Henry Cavill and David Corenswet are both great Supermen who embody different ideals of the character and liking one more doesn’t mean you have to hate the other’.

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