The internet reacts to SDCC's biggest rumor: Henry Cavill returning as Superman

Henry Cavill as Superman in Man of Steel
(Image credit: Warner Bros/DC)

Is the Man of Steel returning? Deadline certainly thinks so, with the publication fuelling speculation that Henry Cavill will make a surprise appearance at this year's San Diego Comic-Con to talk Superman. 

Cavill hasn't played the role since 2017's Justice League (and, of course, 2021's Zack Snyder's Justice League). His version of Superman only had one solo movie, too – 2013's Man of Steel. So, the internet is pretty happy about his possible return – although we must stress that these are just rumors, so take with a pinch of salt.

"I've never seen the timeline as hype as I have with the POTENTIAL of a Henry Cavill Superman announcement," said one Twitter user.

"My dream scenario for Henry Cavill's Comic-Con appearance: Henry announcing a MoS Superman sequel directed by Christopher McQuarrie like he wanted with Zack & Deborah as producers and Sasha Calle's Supergirl co-starring," said another.

"If Henry Cavill comes on stage at the DC Panel and announce to everybody that he is coming back as Superman…IM GONNA CRY OF JOY! Gonna blow up the internet! We need to see Black Adam Vs Superman one day!" said another fan.

Henry Cavill is the perfect Superman cast really hope the rumors are true and he will get a good solo movie," reads another tweet.

This isn't the only hint we've had that Cavill may be donning the cape again. Last month, director Zack Snyder shared a behind-the-scenes photo of himself with Cavill on the set of Man of Steel to celebrate the ninth anniversary of the movie's release. "My Superman past present future," Snyder captioned the photo, posted on Vero.

As for what Cavill himself has said: "There is still a lot of storytelling for me to do as a Superman, and I would absolutely love the opportunity," he told The Hollywood Reporter last year, going on to cite the moment in Man of Steel when he kills Zod. "There’s an opportunity for growth after that, to explore the psyche of Superman as a deep, seemingly invulnerable god-like being but with real feeling on the inside. As I always say, 'The cape is still in the closet.'"

Keep up to date on all things Comic-Con with our complete SDCC 2022 schedule and, for other superhero news, we also have a guide to Marvel at SDCC this year. 

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.