Henry Cavill

Superman logoIt’s a bird!  It’s a plane!  It’s Superman!  But not the Superman we’re used to.  Man of Steel, the reboot of Warner Bros.’ Superman franchise plans to take the super-hero to new heights, so to speak.  With an all-star ensemble and a tougher look, Steel might have what it takes to compete with Marvel Studios and their one-right-after-another string of box office hits.

The new face of the man of steel belongs to actor Henry Cavill (The Tudors, Whatever Works).  Born in Jersey, Channel Islands, Cavill got his big film break in The Count of Monte Cristo in 2002.  But don’t expect that face to resemble Christopher Reeve or the more recent Brandon Routh.  This caped crusader promises to be darker, bolder and steelier.

The costume’s colors are muted, the cape is much longer and the “S” almost completely spans Cavill’s chest.  Another iconic element not included is the hair twirl.  Hopefully, the new lack of locks isn’t permanent, otherwise how will we be able to tell the difference between Clark Kent and Superman? Cavill stated, “It’s going to be different, but not so different that it’s unrecognizable.”

The film is also being somewhat bolder by casting Lawrence Fishburne (CSI: Las Vegas) in the small, but important role of editor-in-chief of Daily Planet, Perry White.  But the suprises and big names are just beginning.  The role of journalist Lois Lane will be played by Amy Adams (The Fighter).  “There was a big, giant search for Lois,” director Zack Snyder (Sucker Punch, Watchmen) said. “For us it was a big thing and obviously a really important role. We did a lot of auditioning but we had this meeting with Amy Adams and after that I just felt she was perfect for it.”

Russell Crowe (Robin Hood) has signed on as Jor-El and Julia Ormond (The Music Never Stopped) as Lara Lor-Van as Superman’s Kryptonian  birth parents, while Kent’s earthly folks—Jonathan and Martha Kent-- are cast as Keven Costner (The Company Men) and Diane Lane (Cinema Verite).  With Michael Shannon (Jonah Hex) as Superman’s nemesis General Zod, the film promises to bring a host of talents into the kinetic atmosphere of a Zack Snyder film for today’s audience.

Says Snyder, “It goes back to what I’ve said about Superman and making him really understandable for today. What’s important to us is making him relevant and real and making him empathetic to today’s audience so that we understand the decisions he makes.”

Check out the first pic of Henry Cavill as Superman below:

Henry Cavill as Superman

Trivia bit:

Ben Affleck turned down directing the film because he wasn't experienced in VFX shots: "A lesson I've learned is to not look at movies based on budget, how much they'll spend on effects or where they will shoot. Story is what's important."