Henry Cavill once had to say goodbye to the DCEU’s role as Superman in a way full of disappointment and regret.

Superman of the DC Extended Cinematic Universe (DCEU) is one of Henry Cavill’s most prominent roles to date. The actor once made fans extremely excited when he featured in the after-credits scene of Black Adam, promising a fascinating confrontation between these two all-powerful characters in the near future.

But after James Gunn and Peter Safran became the new presidents of the DCU, they came up with a new project, an entirely new plan — one that didn’t feature Cavill as Superman.

Not only the audience but even those in the profession expressed regret when the talented actor had to say goodbye to DC’s most famous superhero role. Recently, director Matthew Vaughn has shared that he wants to bring Henry Cavill back to the big screen as Man of Steel, in a project that has no connection to the DCU.

Vaughn has previously worked twice with Henry Cavill on Stardust and most recently Argylle, which will be released on Feb. 10. Vaughn was also chosen by Warner Bros. to direct Man of Steel 2, the DCEU’s never-before-released project.

Director Matthew Vaughn wants to make a Superman movie project with Henry Cavill in the lead role.

Speaking to BroBible’s Post Credit podcast, Vaughn said: “I think (Superman) Red Son is one of the best series I’ve ever read. And in today’s world, that series is more authentic than ever, because indifference will always bring more problems. And think about it, what if we did Red Son with Henry Cavill? It’s going to be a very interesting movie.”

Currently, the DCU’s role as Superman has been given to David Corenswet, who will make his debut in Superman: Legacy, which is scheduled to premiere in the summer of 2025. Still, Warner Bros. has a secret weapon in its hands if they really want to bring Henry Cavill back to the role without compromising James Gunn’s cinematic universe plans. That’s the Elseworlds series.

To put it simply, Elseworlds is like a collection of other mini-cinematic universes outside the DCU, with films like Matt Reeves’ The Batman, or Todd Phillips’ Joker. If Matthew Vaughn’s dream of making Superman: Red Son with Henry Cavill becomes a reality, they could bring that project into Elseworlds, and even develop more sequels if they want.

Elseworlds is also an opportunity for Cavill’s version of Superman to take on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Black Adam to meet fans’ expectations. It can be considered the most complete and satisfying ending for the actor’s period of attachment to the superhero franchise, and also brings a more complete ending to the DCEU that has been “killed” unfinished. Obviously, compared to Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom, a Black Adam v Superman project would have a lot more weight to close this cinematic universe.

Henry Cavill could still play Superman in the Elseworlds world to avoid affecting James Gunn’s DCU.

Only time will tell us the official answer about Henry Cavill’s future with Superman – a role that has been with him for almost 1 decade. Currently, the actor is also very busy with his new projects, including the movie Argylle, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and the Warhammer movie universe as executive producer and lead actor.