HenryCavill 'superman'

According to  mythology of comic books, Superman is the survivor of a dying alien planet who is sent to earth to be its protector. For his new Superman movie, the director Zack Snyder did not have to search quite as far to cast his title character, but in the tradition of previous installments of the franchise, he has settled on a relative unknown to take up the mantle of the Man of Steel.

Henry Cavill, who is the British actor whose credits include the Showtime series “The Tudors,” the 2007 fantasy film “Stardust” and the coming adventure “Immortals,” will play Superman and his secret identity, Clark Kent, in a film that Mr. Snyder is directing for Warner Brothers, the studio said. In a statement, Mr. Snyder, whose last films include the comic-book adaptations “300″ and “Watchmen,” said, “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,” adding that Mr. Cavill “is the perfect choice to done the cape and S shield.”

The Superman film series came in the 1970s and ’80s starred Christopher Reeve, who had appeared mostly on stage and in small movie roles before the 1978 release of “Superman.” A 2006 movie, “Superman Returns,” directed byBryan Singer, starred Brandon Routh, whose previous credits were mainly television soap operas.

Mr. Snyder’s film is planned for a December 2012, with a screenplay which is written by David S. Goyer based on a story created by Mr. Goyer and Christopher Nolan, the writer , director of “Inception.”