After years of waiting and petitioning, fans were extremely excited to discover that Henry Cavill had returned as Superman in Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam. However, it seems like their joy was short-lived as the star has just confirmed that he will in fact not be returning as the Man of Steel in the reformed DC Universe, which is under the rule of co-presidents James Gunn and Peter Safran.Rumors of Cavill’s uncertain future in the DC Universe had been spreading for a few days, but fans were hopeful that they would get to see the actor return as Superman, as was promised after the release of Black Adam. However, since then, the DC Universe has changed, with two new co-presidents taking over and promising a whole new vision for the fans’ favorite DC heroes. Unfortunately for fans, this vision does not include Cavill.RELATED: Henry Cavill Addressed That Rumored Superman News At Comic-ConOn Wednesday night, Cavill took to Instagram and shared the news with his millions of followers. “I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran, and it’s sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman” he wrote. Within minutes, thousands of comments had been shared on the post by disappointed fans. Cavill revealed that “the news isn’t the easiest” to share, especially considering the studio had asked him to announce his return back in October. But, in two months, a lot has changed at Warner Bros. and DC, and that includes Cavill’s future as Superman.

Despite losing the position, Cavill was quite gracious with his comments towards Gunn and Safran. “James and Peter have a universe to build,” he wrote and wished everyone involved in future DC projects “the best of luck.” He also consoled his fans by reminding them that “Superman is still around.” His comment ended with a homage to the character itself. “My turn to wear the cape has passed, but what Superman stands for never will.”

After he shared the news, Gunn also took to social media and confirmed the disappointing report. “Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year,” he revealed before stating that a Superman movie is on the slate, but it’ll focus on “an earlier part of Superman’s life.” This is why Cavill cannot be a part of the film, but Gunn promises that while fans won’t see him in the Superman film, they have some “exciting possibilities” to work on with Cavill in the future.

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Source: Henry Cavill/Instagram