Amy Adams knew she wouldn’t be back for more Superman movies after ‘Justice League’

Amy Adams knew her days of being saved by Superman were numbered.

In a new interview, the Oscar-nominated actress acknowledged that she never expected to reprise her role as Lois Lane in more Superman movies after her supporting turn in the 2017 teamup film Justice League.

“I always understood they were moving in a more Justice League direction,” Adams recently told Variety.

After starring as the love interest for Henry Cavill’s Superman/Clark Kent in 2013’s Man of Steel, Adams became a more tertiary character as the Zack Snyder-helmed films expanded to include other members of the larger-than-life DC superteam. She would next appear in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, both of which centered the relationships between the titular heroes.

Since then, Warner Bros’. superhero film slate has been completely overhauled by DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran — including a new Superman saga starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane.

Addressing the reboot, Adams said she’s “just a big fan of the franchise, always,” adding that she’s especially excited to see the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star’s take on their shared character. “I love [Brosnahan]. She’s gonna be great. Hopefully the role will be infused with her sensibility and her natural humor and strength and wit. I’m really looking forward to it.”

As for any hard feelings about the part being passed on to someone else, Adams said she always understood that the role of the iconic Metropolis reporter would never be hers alone. “Coming from theater, a role never belongs to you,” she said, “You just do a take on it. That’s how I feel about that franchise.”

That said, Adams also jumped at the chance to praise her Clark Kent. “Henry was a really brilliant Superman,” she said. “I offer every Superman luck and stuff, but I think he was great. I just wanted to say that. It’s so in his spirit.”

While Adams has been clear about stepping back from the franchise since 2017, Cavill’s status has been more difficult to pin down. In October 2022, the actor publicly announced his return as the Last Son of Krypton after making a cameo in Black Adam. Shortly after, however, Warner Bros. announced big changes for the franchise, including new Superman plans.

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Amid speculation that Cavill had been fired from the role, Gunn denied that the actor was ever recast in the first place. “I like Henry, I think he’s a great guy,” he said. “I think he’s getting dicked around by a lot of people, including the former regime at this company. But this Superman is not Henry, for a number of reasons.”

The new Superman movie (formerly Superman: Legacy) is being written and directed by Gunn and will focus on the titular hero reconciling his Kryptonian origins with his human upbringing. Gunn has described it as “the true beginning of the DCU.”