Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Black Adam
Henry Cavill’s Return as Superman Makes the Theory of a DCEU Reboot In The Flash much less certain. After years of faceless cameos and on the sidelines of the DCEU, Black Adam brought Kal-El back into the film’s post-credits scene with Superman opposite Black Adam, who wanted to talk about how nervous Teth-Adam has made the world. However, that same return to the DCEU could mean that the cinematic universe status quo will be maintained, rather than rebooted into Ezra Miller’s The flash as many are used to.
Henry Cavill’s Superman Has Been Absent From The DCEU Since Its 2017 Release Justice League. While Clark Kent himself had cameos in Shazam! like peacekeeper, his face was hidden or kept in the dark. Bringing Superman back in full Black Adam creates a future where the next appearances will come from Cavill as the DCEU’s definitive Man of Steel. If you keep that in mind, it creates an interesting ripple for The flash. Given the confirmation that Barry Allen will travel the multiverse, it’s widely believed that the DCEU will get a universal reboot, akin to DC Comics’ flash point event where Barry similarly rewrote the timeline and created a whole new universe. Bringing back Cavill’s Superman, however, suggests otherwise.
How Henry Cavill’s Superman Return Affects the DCEU
With the DCEU from 2013 Man of Steel, Henry Cavill as Clark Kent was the first DC superhero to become part of a larger, connected franchise of characters. He is an established pillar of the universe, just like Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man from the MCU. However, it has been used much less after the production struggle of Justice League. At the insistence of Black Adam actor and producer Dwayne Johnson combined with the new leadership at Warner Bros., Superman has been reintegrated as that pillar for the DCEU, and the messages from Johnson and Black Adam’s marketing has suggested it is for the long term.
However, this casts doubt on the theory that Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen will simply reboot everything in the DCEU after 2023 The flash. Already in the film, Ben Affleck returns as the DCEU’s established Batman, who will also be seen in Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom release later that same year. Now that Henry Cavill has also returned to the DCEU, the chances of the DCEU doing a full reboot are less likely. For example, it is unlikely that Warner Bros. Cavill would effectively “recover” as DCEU’s Superman in Black Adam only to ignore it or recast it after a reboot in The flash. The backlash from the fans would be huge. Henry Cavill’s return to the cape is seen as a major victory, honoring long-held hopes of his return as the Man of Steel.
The flash can still softly restart the DCEU
It should be noted that Barry Allen could still reboot the DCEU, although it should be much softer with a greater focus on changing the timeline rather than heavily influencing or rearranging characters like Superman. It seems that Warner Bros would benefit from erasing or at least rewriting certain elements of the theatrical release of Justice League given the poor reception compared to Zach Snyder’s Justice Leaguea version of the film that the studio has not kept as DCEU canon in later projects.
Keeping that in mind, Superman looks significantly different in his Black Adam appearance than in previous DC movies. Not only is his costume brighter and more colorful, he also has the classic comic strip curl in his hair that he’s never had before. Combined with the original by John Williams Superman 1985 theme about Hans Zimmer’s Man of Steel theme, it is possible that Cavill has returned as a Superman who will soon have an altered and clearer history after a possible reboot in The flash. The same could be true for Ben Affleck’s Batman, given his confirmed appearance in Aquamans sequel after his role alongside Miller’s Barry Allen.
What does the DCEU look like now after the flash?
Superman’s return to the DCEU states that: The flash may not have a massive reboot, as has been largely theorized. Barry Allen could just have a multifaceted adventure with Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton’s Batman, with the status quo still intact in the aftermath (as strange as it may be). Currently the films of the DCEU Justice League were largely independent of each other with much less reliance on connective tissue that you would expect from a cinematic universe. Likewise, some of the most popular movies like the batter and joker are not in the DCEU at all.
While there is now a path forward for the long-awaited Man of Steel 2perhaps The flash will still be able to have a softer reboot that can help the ship that is the DCEU after years of complications and production issues. Reboot or not reboot in The flashHenry Cavill’s return as Superman is nevertheless a very hopeful sign for the future of the DCEU.
