Significant changes are happening at Warner Bros, and the future of Henry Cavill’s Superman remains uncertain. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is tidying up after the recent merger between WB and Discovery, beginning with Toby Emmerich stepping down as head of Warner Bros film studio. Sources indicate that Zaslav is looking for a Kevin Feige-like figure to shepherd DC Films into a new age, and he’s already tried a few suitors on for size.
Zaslav previously approached Emma Watts, a veteran Fox and Paramount executive, for the role, but negotiations broke down. There has also been word of Todd Phillips taking the job, whose Joker film grossed over $1 billion for the studio in 2019. While Phillips has remained mum about the position, he announced that a Joker sequel is coming. According to Variety, Zaslav has received advice from high-profile figures, including former Disney chief Bob Iger and CAA head Bryan Lourd, about where to take the company. Zaslav has also spoken with former Disney film chief and Warner Bros leader Alan Horn about a consultant position. To be clear, Variety appeared to be editorializing this portion of their article, and the idea of Cavill “aging out” of the role is not WB’s official stance.
What does any of this have to do with Superman or Henry Cavill? With plenty of change and uncertainty in the air, it’s challenging to determine Superman’s fate and whether Cavill is aging out of the role. For the record, I don’t think Cavill is too old for the position. If Keaton can come back as Batman at 70, a 39-year-old Cavill is perfectly okay. However, if DC Films fails to move on to making a new Superman movie with Cavill as the Son of Krypton, how long do we have before DC thinks he’s too old for the part? What if they already do?
Whoever takes Emmerich’s former position has their work cut out for them, and planning a new path for one of DC’s flagship characters could be at the top of the list of priorities. There’s also DC’s other Superman project with a script written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Is this still in the works, or will plans break down under new management?
DC has many exciting projects in development, including another season of James Gunn’s Peacemaker, a spinoff series focused on Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, a Penguin series spinning out of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, and much more. While the future of DC looks bright on television, it sounds like the studio is hoping to make its feature film efforts more cohesive and lucrative. Only time will tell if DC can right the ship, and assigning new positions of power could hold the key to that kingdom.
What do you think about Henry Cavill possibly being too old to play Superman? Do you think DC has a bright future in the film industry? Is Todd Phillips a good fit for a Feige-like figure within the company? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.