Written By Mikey Sutton • Editor-in-Chief • Owner
Henry Cavill was deleted from the final scene from The Flash, a decision made by DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. Now keep in mind this wasn’t anything personal. After all, Henry Cavill wanted to return as Superman for Gunn’s new regime. In fact, Henry Cavill announced he was back as Superman in October.
In addition, although DC Studios is replacing Henry Cavill with a younger actor in Gunn’s Superman: Legacy, they have nothing against him possibly in his final scene as the Man of Steel. Rather, it’s the shift in future plans due to the transition from Walter Hamada‘s DC Films to Gunn’s DC Studios.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Henry Cavill’s Superman wasn’t the only Justice League member:
This new version was still on the courthouse steps, but now Calle’s Supergirl was joined by Superman, played by Henry Cavill, and Wonder Woman, played by Gal Gadot. Keaton also remained.
To Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chairs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, this would help set up the DCEU’s future:
De Luca and Abdy believed they were being strategic with the ending. Cavill was going to cameo for DC movie Black Adam and was being teed up to return to the role in a brand new Superman movie. Supergirl was retained because even though the executives were killing the development of a standalone Supergirl movie, they were open to her returning in some form and didn’t want the last image audiences saw of her to be her death at the hands of a supervillain (Michael Shannon’s General Zod).
Henry Cavill Was Sadly Deleted From The Flash
Image: Warner Bros. Discovery
However, that was the DCEU. When Gunn and Safran came aboard, their mission became clear: reboot. Wipe it clean. On the other hand, if The Flash succeeded at the box office, a sequel remained in the fridge instead of being tossed aside.
Nevertheless, that movie would not be set in the continuity of the newly labeled DCU.
Thus, the Henry Cavill scene was sliced out:
Knowing they were resetting the DC universe under their own vision, Gunn and Safran saw that having Cavill and Gadot in the new ending was potentially promising something their plans were not going to deliver.
As of press time, The Flash is unfortunately running towards a disappointing opening weekend with a soul-crushing $60 million in its first three days. Certainly, The Flash deserves better. While it doesn’t reach the transcendent heights of director Zack Snyder’s DC work, The Flash is a fun and quite hilarious superhero epic with truly moving moments.
Although Cavill’s presence would’ve been an added treat, I doubt it would’ve pulled The Flash from the quicksand the film is in at the moment.
Henry Cavill Was Sadly Deleted From The Flash
Image: Warner Bros. Discovery
The blame game is an equal opportunity employer here.
First of all, DC Studios shouldn’t have pressed the reset button this soon.
As a result, this movie looks more like Flashpoint-less than The Flash for audiences as these versions of the characters aren’t scheduled to return.
Indeed, they’re all trapped in the Phantom Zone unless the film takes off.
Second, because of idiocy such as not finishing Snyder’s arc and sacking Cavill after approving his comeback, the fans have no loyalty to the brand, which is damaged goods.
Mikey Sutton made his professional writing debut in Movie Flash magazine in the Philippines in 1987 at the age of 18. He wrote for Amazing Heroes, Cinefantastique, and Fantazia in the ’90s. He was a staff writer for The All-Music Guide in the ’00s. He’s a three-time first-place winner at the Washington Press Association Awards. His comic book, Dreamwalker, will be an upcoming TV series directed by Mikhail Red and starring Kate Valdez. He is a proud Filipino-American.