Don't say it: Shazam! 2 won't include Henry Cavill's Superman

Rumors about Henry Cavill's inclusion in the Shazam sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, as Superman have existed for some time, but the record can now be set straight. Cavill reportedly won't be suiting up in the Man of Steel's suit for a cameo, according to Variety, citing sources with knowledge of the film's production and the actor's schedule.

The first Shazam! featured Superman in a cameo at the very end, but shot from the neck down and obscuring the actor's face. (Stunt performer Ryan Handley played the part in that instance.) Director David Sanberg, returning for the sequel, even tweeted today that Cavill was planned to be in the first film, but that clearly didn't work out. 

It's not all bad news, though. Cavill still clearly wants to play Superman, and you'll get to see him do more in HBO Max's upcoming Zack Snyder's Justice League in March. But at the moment, he's rather busy at the moment shooting the second season of The Witcher for Netflix. And as Variety notes, the plan is still for him to show up as a cameo in a DCEU movie in the future, just not Shazam! 2. 

This isn't the first time there's been questions about who's showing up in Fury of the Gods. Though the cast of the original film is expected to return, including Asher Angel as Billy Batson and Zachary Levi as his heroic counterpart, the original announcement of the film last year also revealed comedian Sinbad had joined the cast. They even featured him in a poster! Was the casting a joke or the real deal? We shall see. 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is expected to release on Nov. 4, 2022.