The Flash's official ending cut Henry Cavill's Superman cameo from the movie, but it still manages to honor the character in a different way instead.

The Flash cut Henry Cavill's Superman cameo from the ending of the movie - but it did honor his role in a different, more surprising way, a whole 10 years after Man Of Steel. Cavill's Superman was at the heart of the DCEU from its conception, and while many of the series' movies proved divisive, reviews of Henry Cavill's superhero performance by and large remained positive. However, what exactly was intended for Cavill's Superman became a more and more complicated matter as time went on, and this culminated in a series of unusual Superman cameos in several projects.

Shazam! featured a bizarre appearance from a version of Superman shot from the neck down, so as to not reveal whether he had Cavill's face, and Peacemaker season 1's ending followed suit with a dark shot of what appeared to be Cavill's Superman, but who was later revealed to be a performance by actor Brad Abramenko. One of The Flash's three different endings was set to have Cavill's Superman appear, but this plan fell through, leaving another glimpse of a faceless Superman at the start of the movie instead. However, the movie was still able to honor this iteration of the iconic DC hero in a different, less transparent way.

The Flash Proves Cavill's Superman Is The Most Important DC Universe Character

Though Henry Cavill's Superman cameo was cut from The Flash, the plot of the movie honors the character by showcasing just how much he was the crux of the DC Universe. Despite being another powerful Kryptonian, Supergirl is unable to defend Earth from General Zod, even with the help of Michael Keaton's Batman and two versions of the Flash. The Flash makes sure to show this isn't a case of Supergirl simply getting unlucky in how events unfold, as the younger Barry Allen has the Zod fight play out several different times, and each time it's clear that without Cavill's Superman, the Earth is doomed, as General Zod wins every time no matter what.

This makes Cavill's DCEU Superman victory in Man Of Steel all the more significant, by showing that this specific iteration of the hero was truly the only one that could protect Earth and allow the events of the DC Universe's main timeline to unfold. While the cut cameo of Cavill's Superman could have proved a more direct sendoff, showcasing just how integral the character was - and how significant he still ultimately is to the universe - serves to acknowledge the history of the hero in a way that him simply appearing wouldn't have.

Why Henry Cavill's Superman Cameo Was Cut From The Flash

Henry Cavill's Superman cameo was cut from The Flash and replaced with a new ending because of the complications that otherwise would have been set up for the new DC Universe, as The Flash ending served as a soft reboot of the superhero movie universe. Had Cavill's Superman appeared as he was initially intended to in the final scenes of the film, it likely would have confused audiences, who would have been unsure whether this was intended to show that the actor's version of the Man of Steel would be appearing in future installments.

Instead, the official ending makes it clearer that a new Superman is on the horizon, by showing that new figures are to replace the previous castings for DC's movie heroes. This helpfully paves the way for David Corenswet's casting as the hero in Superman: Legacy - though The Flashplot makes it clear that Henry Cavill's Superman has set a high bar for his successor.

Key Release Dates