Henry Cavill Announces He Will Not be Returning to Play Superman

Henry Cavill is hanging up his cape. Cavill took to Instagram Wednesday to reveal that he'll no longer be returning to the DCEU as Superman.

The 39-year-old explained he had a meeting with filmmaker James Gunn and British film producer Peter Safran, who in October were named co-chairmen and chief executive officers of DC Studios.

"I will, after all, not be returning as Superman," Cavill wrote, a decision he said was made after Gunn and Safran were hired on. "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."

Cavill said despite him not returning to the role, "Superman is still around."

"Everything he stands for still exists, and the examples he sets for us are still there!" he continued. "My turn to wear the cape has passed, but what Superman stands for never will. It’s been a fun ride with you all, onwards and upwards."

Gunn also took to social media to address Wednesday's news, tweeting that he and Safran "have a DC slate ready to go."

"Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year," Gunn began before confirming their decision to go in another direction. "Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman's life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill."

There's still hope for the future, Gunn noted, added that there are "exciting possibilities" in the pipeline.

"But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future," Gunn added.

Gunn also teased the possibility of having Ben Affleck, who famously played Batman in the DCEU, make a return behind the camera.

Cavill's announcement comes less than two months after he announced his return as Superman following his cameo in the Black Adam end-credits scene.

"A very small taste of what’s to come, my friends," he captioned the post. "The dawn of hope renewed. Thank you for your patience, it will be rewarded."

He also recorded a video thanking fans for their support as he returns to the character.

"I wanted to wait until the weekend was over before posting this, because I wanted to give you all a chance to watch Black Adam. But now that plenty of you have, I wanted to make it official, that I am back as Superman," Cavill said at the time. "The image you see on this post and what you saw in Black Adam are just a very small taste of things to come. There's a lot to be thankful for, and I'll get to that in time, but I wanted to thank you guys most of all, thank you for your support and thank you for your patience. I promise it will be rewarded."

Speaking to ET that same month, Cavill revealed the three things he wanted from his Superman return.

"Right now, I can't really talk about anything," the Enola Holmes actor admitted. "What I do want is hope, optimism and joy. Those three things are essential in a character."

Cavill's exit as Superman marks another major departure for the beloved actor who also announced that he was stepping away from the Netflix series The Witcher after being the leading man for three seasons. It was revealed that Liam Hemsworth will be taking his place.

See more on Cavill in the video below.

Jason Momoa Reacts to Henry Cavill's Return as Superman (Exclusive)

Henry Cavill Leaving 'The Witcher,' Liam Hemsworth to Take Over

Henry Cavill Reveals the 3 Things He Wants in Superman Return

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