By Michael Lin, Staff Writer.
Look up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s another tragedy! After years of performing as Superman, Henry Cavill on Wednesday, December 14th, revealed to fans that he will no longer return as our favorite blue boy scout.
Henry Cavill began his acting career on June 14, 2013, with the lead role in Man of Steel. Earning a Rotten Tomato score of 56%, the film received mixed reviews, but nonetheless produced sequels and laid the foundation for future filmmaking. Cavill’s final performance as Superman was a surprise cameo appearance in the end credits of Black Adam, which was released on October 21, 2022. Black Adam, which was originally created in 1945 by Otto Binder and C.C. Beck from Marvel Family Comics, and later bought by DC Comics, depicts the original archenemy of Captain Marvel/ Shazam. It has been recently made into a movie starring Dwayne Johnson. Cavill’s cameo opened up potential plotlines for future projects. However, with Cavill stepping down, those plots will now cease to progress. According to James Gunn,new director for the DC Extended Universe, a younger Superman should carry on the mantle for future films. DC Studios wishes to retcon the Man of Steel made by the former teams at Warner Brothers. As of now, it is still unknown as to who will be the new Superman.
The news of Cavill’s leave as Superman came as a tragic blow to fans, “I feel a bit conflicted because everyone really liked him as Superman, and now that he is being kicked off is a bit upsetting,” lamented Brendan Phimsoutham (12) a Senior from Mills High School. Many had become accustomed to seeing Cavill in the role, similar to how fans grew attached to Andrew Garfield’s portrayal as Spider-Man. Perhaps one could dream of a day when Cavill may make a similar reappearance as Garfield did for “Spider-Man: No Way Home”. “Honestly I don’t really respect this decision, but I respect James Gunn, so I have to accept this change and I hope that the next Superman in line reaches the same or hopefully more hype than Cavill did.” Although many have had a hard time accepting this change, Gabe Solano (12) another Senior student from Mills retains certain optimism towards James Gunn, a well reputed screenwriter who directed the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, and the Suicide Squad reboot in 2021. That may bring out equally or more intriguing candidates for Superman.The Man of Steel has long brought entertainment to the big screen, but even the hardest steel rusts in the ravages of time.
Other than Cavil’s “retirement”, the DC cinematic universe is soon to expect a reboot in its continuity. Recently, DC films have gone through a roller coaster of reviews, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe has received more positive attention. Examples for the DCEU’s disorganized storytelling are the remakes of movies– not as sequels, but as replacements. Movies including Justice League, released in 2017, received approximately 39% on Rotten Tomatoes; the film was later remade by director Zack Snyder into a four-hour film in 2021. Suicide Squad, made in 2016, was also victimed to the remakes in 2021 when James Gunn directed Suicide Squad. The remake received a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes whilst the original a 26%. Besides the erratic storytelling, controversies surrounding Ezra Miller’s allegation of violence against women and drug abuse smeared his representation of the Flash, which was supposedly going to pilot a new direction for the DCEU.
Ezra Miller’s many controversies certainly negatively affect a franchise that is intended for children.Miller was arrested due to disorderly conduct at a Hawaii karaoke bar, had a restraining order against him by a couple of neighbors who he threatened “to bury,” was charged with second-degree assault after throwing a chair at a female, “grooming” a little Native American girl in North Dakota, was accused of harassing yet another minor, was arrested for burglary, and lying to the police regarding a mother and her three children who were staying at his farm in Vermont. He has recently vowed to commit to some serious treatment for “complex mental health.”
The recent failure of releasing Batgirl makes it one of the most expensive scrapings of all time. The movie, which reprised Michael Keaton as Batman, was apparently so bad that Warner Bros was too embarrassed to release it, opting to shelf it instead. The move attests to a culture of production of DC movies that neglects artistic endeavor for unimaginative, trite, insipid, and formulaic renditions.
A good story usually starts by pulling its audience closer to the plot, and the further they consume its content, the more they crave it. In order to compete against the success of the MCU, a reboot is necessary to bring out new talent and entertainment.
The DC reboot has proven challenging as reintroducing all characters has become repetitive. While in comics each character or plot line is unique, the making of a 90-minute cinematographic interpretation must follow the same steps, which may lead to flops such as Batgirl. Regardless, the DC reboot has allowed for new talent to find exposure, and so it is with much rue that we see the departure of Cavill.
