Zack Snyder Looks Back At How Henry Cavill Won The Role Of Superman In MAN OF STEEL

We already know that Henry Cavill tried on the original Christopher Reeve Superman costume during auditions for Man of Steel, but in an interview with Art Center Of Design (via @ManofSteel_2013), director Zack Snyder has gone into detail about how seeing the British actor in the iconic suit was all he needed to know that he had his Superman. He also talks briefly about about his relationship with Warner Bros, although you can read the full interview can be read by clicking on the link below.

"We had about 500 guys initially. We did this massive auditioning madness. It got down to the usual suspects in a pretty quick order. Henry Cavill was actually the first one we physically tested on film. We actually tested him in the Christopher Reeves Superman suit. And that was a big deal. That’s a hard suit to pull off. Trust me. If you’re just standing there in that suit, it’s dodgy. It felt like we just bought it a costume shop. Plus, there’s no mask. I’ve been around a few superhero costumes, and it’s weird because when you’re in the Superman costume it’s just you from the neck up. And somebody just combed your hair. But Henry came out of the trailer when we were shooting a test and everybody thought Okay, that’s Superman. He was awesome and did a great job."

"When it comes to a studio wanting to talk to you about how to make your film better—or what in their mind they think is better—having a point of view is really important. Because they can just crush you. And they are paying for the movie. They do have the right to say, Hey, this is crazy, he [Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen] cannot be naked the entire film. That’s when you have to be able to say, Well, yeah, he does, and I don’t know what else to do. Sometimes it’s like a staring contest, and whoever blinks loses."

"For whatever reason, Warner Brothers has been a very supportive studio to me. I’ve been able to make movies over there that have been kind of weird and they have supported by them. It’s been a good relationship."

In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time. Clark Kent/Kal-El (Henry Cavill) is a young twenty-something journalist who feels alienated by powers beyond his imagination. Transported years ago to Earth from Krypton, a highly advanced, distant planet, Clark struggles with the ultimate question 'Why am I here?' Shaped by the values of his adoptive parents Martha (Diane Lane) and Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner), Clark discovers having extraordinary abilities means making difficult decisions. When the world is in dire need of stability, an even greater threat emerges. Clark must become a Man of Steel, to protect the people he loves and shine as the world's beacon of hope - Superman.