Television’s Superman Tyler Hoechlin says it’s “very flattering” being named as a possible replacement for Man of Steel star Henry Cavill, whose future participation in Warner Bros.’ DC Extended Universe has remained up in the air since a September 2018 report claimed Cavill was out of the movie franchise.
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“I did not know that,” the Supergirl star said at FAN EXPO Boston, attended by ComicBook.com, when told he often tops fancast lists as a suitable successor for Cavill. “That’s very flattering, very flattering. I appreciate the support.”
That support is “different from the first announcement,” Hoechlin added with a laugh, pointing to reactions surrounding his casting as the Last Son of Krypton in The CW’s Supergirl.
“First time, ‘Who? Who’s this guy? What, why? No, no, please God, no.’ No, the support has been great,” he said. “It’s been very nice to receive the, I guess, the reception that the character’s had.”
On joining the movie franchise should the role become vacant, Hoechlin said, “Who knows? You never know. You never know what’s gonna happen in this crazy world.”
Hoechlin has emerged as a fan-favorite since playing the character in a half-dozen episodes of Supergirl and participating in Arrowverse’s Elseworlds crossover, remarking warm fan response has been “a nice transition” ahead of his participation in next crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths. “It’s a different welcome now,” he said.
In December, months after reports of Cavill’s exit from the DCEU over contract negotiations, a report from Deadline said projects centered around Cavill’s Superman and Ezra Miller’s Flash “lost momentum” at the studio. By February, another report said Warner Bros. was benching Superman to instead focus on its in-the-works movie project centered on cousin Supergirl, rumored to move into production in early 2020.
The Flash recently found new life at the studio under IT CHAPTER TWO director Andy Muschietti, who has since confirmed the Justice League spinoff as his next project.
There have been no promising developments on Man of Steel 2 or another Superman-led project: Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn in May said he was no longer attached to the project and Mission: Impossible — Fallout director Christopher McQuarrie said in July WB showed no interest in his pitch.
“It is very much in my desire to do a Man of Steel 2, a direct sequel to Man of Steel, and there is a whole bunch of Superman story that I want to tell,” Cavill said in an April 2018 interview. “There is a whole style of Superman’s character that I’m very keen to tell and I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”
Cavill reportedly said he wants to stay in the role as recently as July, according to a fan who posed for a photo with Cavill at San Diego Comic-Con.
Cavill was on hand for the annual convention promoting coming Netflix series The Witcher — the anticipated video game-inspired series led by Cavill as Geralt of Rivia — which the star reportedly signed on for only after reaching an impasse with Warners when renegotiation talks broke down.
Hoechlin next returns as Superman in Crisis on Infinite Earths when the crossover premieres on The CW in December.
