Just earlier this month, Aquaman star Jason Momoa went on record saying that he’d understand if Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill departed from their respective roles as Batman and Superman, arguing that “It’s just the place they’re at in their careers.” Nonetheless, it seems that the actor was either speaking hypothetically or he’s heard some new information in these last few days, because now Momoa is decisively shooting down the rumors that Cavill is out of the DCEU.
In the wake of several reports that emerged earlier this year, many of us had long made our peace with the Man of Steel star’s alleged exit, but in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Momoa didn’t mince words when he insisted that Cavill isn’t out yet:
“He’s absolutely not. […] He loves the character and he’s not. 100%. […] No, it’s absolutely not.”
Henry Cavill is still our Man of Steel. Watch Jason Momoa shut down rumors about Henry moving on from Superman. pic.twitter.com/iDddD2jN34
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) December 13, 2018
Message received, but with no Superman projects in the DCEU’s foreseeable future, the question is raised of what exactly it means for Cavill to still be in the franchise.
Perhaps the answer lies in an old rumor around next year’s Shazam! The popular narrative earlier this year was that Clark Kent was intended to have a cameo in Billy Batson’s upcoming film, and that this idea has since been scrapped. A report from a couple of months ago, however, alleged that Cavill will still be appearing in the movie’s post-credits, and that Warner Bros. plans to use this moment as a means of judging audience engagement with the character.
That’s just one piece of hearsay, but even if it turns out to be true, it’s still unclear where on the DC calendar another Superman appearance could fit, suggesting that we could be in for a long wait before Cavill’s next lead turn in the franchise. In the meantime, Momoa will be showing us what another Justice League alumnus can do when Aquaman hits theaters on December 21st.