Henry Cavill Out as Superman in Major DC Shakeup

In a stunning turn of movie events, Henry Cavill will no longer be playing Superman in the DC Universe.

Newly appointed DC head James Gunn and Cavill made the surprising announcement on Wednesday.

Gunn posted that he's very excited about the new slate of projects coming out of DC studios. He also said he'll have more information coming in the new year.

"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 said on Twitter.

He continued by explaining why Cavill won't be able to reprise his role, despite a tease at the end of recent release "Black Adam."

"Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill."

He closed by saying that he and Safran are "big fans", and could potentially work together down the road.

"But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future."

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - MARCH 19: British actor Henry Cavill poses for pictures during the Batman v Superman Movie photocall at Hotel St Regis on March 19, 2016 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/LatinContent via Getty Images)

Unfair Treatment for Henry Cavill

Cavill posted on Instagram confirming the announcement, and couldn't hide his obvious disappointment.

"It's sad news everyone," Cavill said. "I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. After being told by the studio to announce my return in October, prior to their hire, this news isn't the easiest, but that's life."

His portrayal of the Superman character had generally been well received, despite several disappointing films.

"Batman v. Superman" and "Justice League" were both critically panned. "Justice League" also featured a digital alteration of Cavill's face, which was...confusing, to say the least.

Cavill took the high road and wished the new DCU the best of luck, but this wasn't fair to him.

Just a few months ago, he dropped out of popular series "The Witcher," in order to return to playing Superman. Now he's been replaced both as Geralt of Rivia, and Superman, both of his signature roles.

Obviously he would have returned to his "Witcher" role, had he not agreed to play Superman. Now he gets neither.

All Superman properties have been struggling of late, with a woke version of the comic books tanking spectacularly.

READ: SALES FOR WOKE SUPERMAN COMICS TANK

The DC Universe has also not done particularly well in recent years.

"Black Adam" was not a box office success, despite featuring Dwayne Johnson.

Many of their attempts to recreate the Marvel Cinematic Universal have also failed. Gunn has a successful track record with the "Guardians of the Galaxy" series, but he has his work cut out for him at DC.

Booting Cavill hasn't exactly put him on the best footing with DC fans. Given lengthy development cycles, it might take years to find out if it was the right decision.