This past Wednesday, Henry Cavill announced that he was not returning to the role of Superman due to the corporate shake-up at DC Studios with James Gunn and Peter Safran being named co-CEOs. The new co-CEOs are interested in recasting the role of Superman and fans are calling for Euphoria star, Jacob Elordi, to take over.
Fans suggested Elordi could portray a younger, rookie version of Superman given that the star is just 25 years old. Others also pointed out that Elordi is almost the same age as Christopher Reeves was when he portrayed Superman in 1978.
These fans also backed up their casting of Elordi with fan art visualizing him in the role. Like the actors that have come before him, Elordi boasts Superman’s chiseled looks and fit physique.
Fans placed images of Elordi and the comic book Superman side-by-side to show the uncanny resemblance between the two. Some described Elordi as being the only possible choice to portray a comic book-accurate Superman.
While Elordi is relatively new to Hollywood, he did build up an impressive amount of star power in a short time. After gaining some recognition for starring in The Kissing Booth trilogy, he shot to fame further for his role in Euphoria.
Now, he is one of the biggest stars among Gen Z and his fans have pushed for him to play bigger roles. In addition to Superman, fans also suggested he portray the next James Bond despite being a bit too young for the role.
Will Jacob Elordi replace Henry Cavill as Superman?
Given that Cavill’s exit as Superman is still very fresh, no actor has been tied to the role of Superman yet. However, that means there’s a chance that Elordi could still be considered for the role.
Meanwhile, Gunn has confirmed that DC is interested in focusing on “an earlier part of Superman’s life.”
Given that Elordi is 25 and currently plays a high school student in Euphoria, he would meet the age requirements the studio currently has for the role.
In addition to being the right age, Elordi is also of the right build to play Superman. He has the height, jawline, and fit physique of Superman.
However, others pointed out that there are other potential candidates, too. Wolfgang Novogratz, David Corenswet, Austin Butler, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson were a few names that arose in the discussion.
However, even those not totally on board with Elordi being Superman had to admit he didn’t look bad in the role in fan art.
It’s unknown if Elordi actually will replace Cavill as Superman. However, given that he’s the right age for a role, he does have a chance at being considered for it.
Why is Cavill being replaced as Superman?
While some fans jumped right into fan casting for a younger Superman, some are still shocked at the news of Cavill’s replacement. After all, he had just announced in October that he had officially returned to DC as Superman after a five-year hiatus.
However, Cavill’s announcement and his cameo in Black Adam came just before Gunn and Safran took over as co-CEOs of DC Studios. While the former DC head, Walter Hamada, envisioned the future of DC with Cavill’s Superman, Gunn and Safran did not.
Since they first officially began their roles in November, Gunn and Safran have shown an interest in steering DC in a new direction. Part of that plan seems to be to get rid of the majority of the old regiment.
This was evidenced by their decision to scrap Wonder Woman 3. There have also been rumors alleging that Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) might not be part of DC’s future either.
Not everyone is happy with the changes, as #FireJamesGunn began trending on Twitter shortly after Cavill’s replacement was announced.
While Gunn and Safran have control of DC it remains to be seen if fan opinions and demands have any impact on their decisions.