The fact that Henry Cavill read one particular DC comic to prep for Justice League 8 years ago makes the culmination of his DCEU story so much sadder. Henry Cavill’s depiction of the Man of Steel was among the most celebrated aspects of the DCEU, often becoming the saving grace of the movies in which he appeared. His debut in Man of Steel was met with middling reviews (though sentiments have improved with hindsight), which worsened for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2017’s Justice League.

The unfortunate trajectory of the DCEU would ultimately lead to the announcement of a total reboot, the DCU, which is already underway with the release of Creature Commandos in December. The reboot announcement was soon followed by the poorly-received confirmation that Henry Cavill’s Superman would be replaced with a fresher-faced model, just weeks after Cavill had confirmed his return. Looking back at Cavill’s tenure is a particularly poignant endeavor now, and rendered even more heartbreaking by a comment from 2017.

Henry Cavill’s DCEU Superman Comic Prep Makes His Hero’s Story Even Sadder

Henry Cavill Was Reading DC Rebirth To Prepare For His DCEU Future

The release of 2017’s Justice League was accompanied by a companion publication, “Justice League: Official Collector’s Edition Book.” Within these pages, Cavill expresses his enthusiasm for Superman and his role in bringing the newest iteration to the big screen, despite the supersuit that he was required to wear being quite an uncomfortable part of the process. He also reveals that he had been “diving into” DC Comics’ latest initiative: DC Rebirth. Rebirth was a relaunch of DC’s mainline characters following the relatively unpopular “The New 52” initiative. Cavill’s quote is as follows:

“Putting the suit on was fantastic. I love wearing that suit. No matter how warm or uncomfortable it gets, it’s the Superman suit. There’s no feeling like it. It’s a truly unique, special thing and I hope I get to do it for many more years. I’m really happy.”

“I do indeed — especially with Rebirth, which has just come out. I’ve been really diving into that. It’s fun to see where the DC Comics Universe is going, and to see how closely our movie universe is matching it.”

While they weren’t directly tied, DC Rebirth intended to draw significant inspiration from the then-four-year-old DCEU and vice-versa. Reading Cavill’s hopeful comments now, particularly his hope to continue embodying the role for “many more years,” is especially disheartening. Realistically, Cavill’s excitement at seeing how much the DCEU would follow DC Rebirth would never be satisfied, as 2017’s Justice League would be the last time that Cavill’s Superman would appear on the big screen in earnest, save for a brief cameo at the end of 2022’s Black Adam.

The Plans For The DCEU Would’ve Gone Far Closer To Cavill’s DC Comic Prep

DC Rebirth And The DCEU Were Returning To DC’s Brighter Routes

DC Rebirth was intended to remedy the less well-received aspects of The New 52 by bringing DC Comics’ most beloved characters closer to its brighter, more lighthearted roots. The criticisms leveled at this initiative are mirrored by those leveled at the early DCEU, as detractors from each franchise were put off by their dark tones and the positioning of DC’s superheroes as mythical figures largely detached from humanity. Following Justice League, the DCEU’s pivot to a more vivacious tone became apparent.

It’s easy to see where Henry Cavill’s enthusiasm stemmed from, therefore, knowing that DC Rebirth was a sign of things to come in the DCEU.

It’s easy to see where Henry Cavill’s enthusiasm stemmed from, therefore, knowing that DC Rebirth was a sign of things to come in the DCEU. Man of Steel 2 would likely have looked very different to its predecessor, painting Superman in a light more akin to the DCU’s depiction in 2025’s Superman. Movies like Shazam!, Birds of Prey, and The Suicide Squad were not only indicative of Warner Bros.’ intentions but proved that this was the right move for the franchise. Sadly, however, Cavill’s Justice League prep was ultimately for naught.