New Superman

The latest winner of the Superman sweepstakes is Tudors star Henry Cavill, stepping into the bright red boots filled by Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh, and a dozen others in various media.

Cavill will be playing the title role (and his mild-mannered alto ego, Clark Kent) in Superman: Man of Steel, the latest feature film attempt to recapture the sublime resonance of Dick Donner's original Superman for a new generation. The new installment has a great deal of star power behind the camera: it's from Zack Snyder of 300 and Watchmen fame, and it's being written by David S. Goyer and Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight), with Christopher Nolan as a producer and guiding influence.

"In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time, and I am honored to be a part of his return to the big screen," Snyder announced. "I also join Warner Bros., Legendary and the producers in saying how excited we are about the casting of Henry. He is the perfect choice to don the cape and S shield."

Previous comments from Nolan suggest that Man of Steel will have an all-star cast in the same way Donner's original film did, as it attempts to reboot the Superman story in a modern context.

Wondering where else you know Cavill from? He played the dandy, Humphrey, in Stardust, and young Albert Mondego in The Count of Monte Cristo.