James Gunn On Replacing Henry Cavill In Superman: "It Was Really Unfair..."
Following the success of 'Superman', director James Gunn opened up on how he convinced Henry Cavill to sit out from the 'Superman' film franchise ahead of casting David Cornswet in the latest DC Studios' superhero project.
During a recent appearance on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, as quoted by Variety, the "Superman" director explained that as his deal to take over DC Studios was finalised, it was announced that Cavill would reprise his role as the Man of Steel.
However, according to Gunn, it was already decided that he would helm a new 'Superman' film with a new actor, which created an "unfair" situation for Cavill.
"The day our [DC] deal closed, all of a sudden, they were announcing that Henry was back. And I'm like, 'What is going on?' We know what the plan is. The plan was to come in and do 'Superman.' So it was really unfair to him and a total bummer," said Gunn as quoted by Variety.
Gunn added that the miscommunication was due to a sector of the studio trying to "force" their own vision of DC, which was "never part of the equation." To solve the misunderstanding, the director decided to disclose the truth to Henry Cavill by talking to him.
"So, that was really unfortunate. Peter and I [thought] the right thing to do was to sit down with [Cavill] and talk to him. And we sat down and we talked to him. He was an absolute gentleman, a great guy about it. He said, 'The only thing I ask is that I'm able to reveal it myself as opposed to it coming from you guys,'" said James Gunn as quoted by Variety.
Gunn also hinted at the possibility of casting Henry Cavill in future DCU movies.
While Cavill starred as the Man of Steel across three DC films from 2013 to 2017, David Corenswet took over the role for Gunn's DCU debut feature 'Superman,' which released July 11.
Other cast members for that film include Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), Skyler Gisondo (Jimmy Olsen), Anthony Carrigan (Metamorpho), Edi Gathegi (Mister Terrific), Nathan Fillion (Guy Gardner) and Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl).
The film has garnered positive reviews from critics and viewers alike.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
37 minutes ago
- News18
James Gunn Admits Confusion Around Henry Cavill's Return To Superman Was 'Really Unfair'
Last Updated: James Gunn called the confusion around Henry Cavill's Superman return "really unfair." Cavill announced his return but later revealed he wouldn't join the new DC vision. James Gunn has admitted the confusion around Henry Cavill's return to Superman was 'really unfair". The 42-year-old actor had announced he was set to reprise the role, only to reveal two months later that he wouldn't be part of the new DC Studios co-head's vision for the franchise, and now James has explained he and Peter Safran were taken aback when his return was announced. Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, James said, 'We were dealing with trying to figure out if we could take the job at DC Studios, and we're talking to David Zaslav and all the legal people there, and figuring out what our deals would be. 'And the day our deal closed, all of a sudden they were announcing that Henry was back. I'm like, what is going on? Like, we know what the plan is, the plan was to come in and do Superman. That was really unfortunate, I'm like, this poor guy." The new DC bosses were impressed with how Henry handled the news. James continued, 'And so Peterand I [knew] the right thing to do is to sit down with [Cavill] and talk to him. And we sat down, we talked to him, he was an absolute gentleman, a great guy about it. He said, 'The only thing I ask is that I'm able to reveal it myself as opposed to it coming from you guys.' It was really unfair to him and was a total bummer." James explained there were external influences who 'wanted to take on what they wanted to do at DC and were trying to force their way and it just was never a part of the equation." The filmmaker – who cast David Corenswet in the title role of his Superman movie – was asked if it would be 'too confusing" to recast Henry in a different DC Universe role, and he admitted he is keen to work with the Witcher star. He said, 'No, as another character? Absolutely not. I talked to him about it on that day. I would love to put Henry in something." First Published: July 21, 2025, 09:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
'Superman' tops North American box office for second weekend with USD 406.8 million haul; 'Jurassic World Rebirth' and 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' trail behind
James Gunn 's 'Superman' showed staying power in its second weekend at North American box offices, collecting $57.3 million in ticket sales and remaining the No. 1 movie in cinemas, according to studio estimates Sunday. None of the week's new releases like, 'I Know What You Did Last Summer', 'Smurfs', and 'Eddington', came close to touching Warner Bros. and DC Studios' superhero success. 'Superman' dipped 54% from its domestic opening, an average decline for a big summer film. In two weeks, the film has grossed $406.8 million worldwide, a good start for the movie DC Studios is banking on to restart its movie operations. A big test looms next weekend, when the Walt Disney Co. releases Marvel's 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps'. Strong audience scores and good reviews should help propel the $225 million-budgeted 'Superman' toward profitability in the coming weeks. For Warner Bros. and DC Studios, the film is key to kicking off a 10-year plan for the comic book adaptation studio. Co-heads Gunn and Peter Safra were tasked with rehabilitating the flagging operation. Next on tap are the films 'Supergirl' and 'Clayface' in 2026. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Box Office Competition But 'Superman' is far from flying solo in theatres right now. Universal Pictures' 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' came in second this weekend, with $23.4 million in its third week of release. The seventh 'Jurassic' movie, this one starring Scarlett Johansson , held its own despite the competition from 'Superman'. In three weeks, it accrued $648 million worldwide. Apple Studios and Warner Bros.' 'F1: The Movie' has also shown legs, especially internationally. In its fourth weekend, the Brad Pitt racing drama dipped just 26% domestically, bringing in $9.6 million in North America, and another $29.5 million overseas. Its global total stands at $460.8 million. But both of the biggest new releases - Sony Pictures' 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' and Paramount Pictures' 'Smurfs' - fell flat. "I Know What You Did Last Summer" opened with $13 million, a fair result for a movie budgeted at a modest $18 million, but a disappointing opening for a well-known horror franchise. The film, directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, is set 27 years after the 1997 original. Teenagers played by Madelyn Cline and Chase Sui Wonders are again haunted for covering up a car accident. The movie's reviews (38% "fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes) were poor for 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' and audiences graded it similarly. The film notched a "C+" on CinemaScore. The original collected $72.6 million in its domestic run in 1997. Paramount Pictures' 'Smurfs' debuted in fourth place this weekend with $11 million. The latest big-screen reboot for the woodland blue creatures prominently features Rihanna as the voice of Smurfette. But reviews (21% "fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes) were terrible. Audiences were kinder, giving it a "B+" on CinemaScore, but the $58 million-budgeted release will depend largely on its international sales. In 56 overseas markets, 'Smurfs' earned $22.6 million. Ari Aster's 'Eddington' opened with $4.2 million on 2,111 screens for A24. Since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the film has been particularly divisive. The pandemic-set Western features Joaquin Phoenix as the right-wing sheriff of a small New Mexico town who faces off with its liberal mayor (Pedro Pascal). The less-than-stellar launch of the film marks the second box-office disappointment for Aster. His 2023 film ''Beau Is Afraid' cost $35 million to make but collected just $12.4 million worldwide. 'Eddington' cost about $25 million to produce. Audiences gave it a "C+" on CinemaScore. None of Aster's previous films have been graded higher. Summer Box Office Yet collectively, Hollywood is enjoying a very good summer. According to data firm Comscore, the 2025 summer box office is up 15.9% over the same period last year, with the year-to-date sales running 15% ahead of 2025. Summer ticket sales have amassed about $2.6 billion domestically, according to Comscore. Top 10 movies by domestic box office With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: 1. "Superman," $57.3 million. 2. "Jurassic World Rebirth," $23.4 million. 3. "I Know What You Did Last Summer," $13 million. 4. "Smurfs," $11 million. 5, "F1: The Movie," $9.6 million. 6. "How to Train Your Dragon," $5.4 million. 7. "Eddington," $4.3 million. 8. "Elio," $2 million. 9. "Lilo & Stitch," $1.5 million. 10. "28 Years Later," $1.3 million.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
‘Saiyaara' box office collection Day 3: Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda starrer records historic Rs 83 crore debut weekend; among highest-earning Bollywood films of 2025
'Saiyaara', the Mohit Suri-directed romantic drama, has delivered a historic opening weekend at the Indian box office, collecting over Rs 80 crore (India net) over its first three days. Featuring newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda in lead roles, the film has defied expectations and emerged not only as a standout success in 2025, but has also set a new benchmark for collections by films starring debutante actors. Box Office Performance The film, which marks the big-screen debut of Ahaan alongside Aneet, beat all expectations and early box office predictions to score this impressive feat. According to reports on sacnilk, the film earned an estimated Rs 21 crore on day 1 and saw good growth at the box office on day 2, earning an estimated Rs 25 crore. The film then went on to score its highest collection at the ticket windows on Sunday, earning an estimated Rs 37 crore, according to early estimates. Sunday's collection helped the film earn a total collection of Rs 83 crore India net. Highest Earning Films Of 2025 According to box office reports, the film has surpassed all predictions to take its place among the highest-earning Bollywood films of 2025. 'Saiyaara' not only outperformed Suri's previous opening records like 'Ek Villain' which earned Rs 16 crore and 'Aashiqui 2', which earned Rs 6.1 crore, but also positioned itself among the top 5 highest opening weekends of 2025. It is now trailing behind only big-ticket films like, Vicky Kaushal 's 'Chhaava' which earned Rs 121.43 crore, 'Housefull 5' which has an estimated net total of Rs 91.83 crore and 'Sikandar' which earned Rs 86.44 crore net. Occupancy Rate Saiyaara recorded an overall 71.18% Hindi occupancy on Sunday in Hindi-speaking regions. The film performed particularly well during its evening shots, with the highest footfalls recorded to be around 79.32% and 88.15%. Trade analysts are crediting the film's success to a combination of fresh casting, music, and Suri's emotional storytelling, which seems to have struck a chord with younger audiences. This impressive Rs 80+ crore debut for Panday, comes at a time when several other star kids, the latest being Shanaya Kapoor , failed to rake in even Rs 2 crore at the box office in the first week of the release of her debut film 'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan'. Director Suri credits the film's authenticity and emotional truth. In interviews, he's spoken candidly about his desire to push past the rose-tinted portrayal of romance in Bollywood: 'In love, there will be pain… If love is not real, it's not felt. I believe in it more than I fantasise about it,' he told PTI. Bollywood vs Hollywood 'Saiyaara' has also beaten the likes of Hollywood films like 'Superman' and 'Jurassic World Rebirth'. The new release has comfortably shot past the collections of James Gunn's Superman, and is just a few crore shy of beating the Scarlett Johansson starrer dino film, which has a two-week total collection of Rs 86.6 crore. This film is expected to continue its upward trend at the box office and record a strong opening weekend. All eyes will now turn to Monday's numbers to see if the film can maintain its momentum and set a new box office record.
