Henry Cavill Beats Out Joe Manganiello To Be Zack Snyder's Official Man of Steel

We all remember the big rumors when it came to the casting of Steve Rogers/Captain America way back when Joe Johnston's The First Avenger was announced, so many actors were all inline to play such an iconic character. Well now history seems to be repeating itself with rumors now circulating that Joe Manganiello, best known for his role on the TV show True Blood, and Tudor's star Henry Cavill are director Zack Snyder's top choices to play Superman in the upcoming Man of Steel film. But who has won the part?

 

 

While actors such as Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Armie Hammer (The Social Network), and Matthew Goode (Watchmen) have all been rumored to be up for the role, it seems the real true frontrunners came down to Manganiello and Cavill, both of which are relatively unknown actors who Snyder has never worked with. Manganiello had seemed to be the main candidate for the part, but it looks like Cavill has been him to the punch for the Superman/Clark Kent role. Cavill will be the third actor to portray Superman on the big screen after Christopher Reeves in Richard Donner's 1970s Superman film, and Brandon Routh's forgettable performance as the Man of Steel in Bryan Singer's Superman Returns.

There have been Facebook campaigns for Manganiello, and the actor himself has expressed interest in playing the role. According to LA Therocomplex, the same news source that announced big Batman news was on it's way and sure enough Tom Hardy was announced to be Bane and Anne Hathaway would be Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, said the following:

Here's what Mangeniello had to say on the subject:

"It's not up to me at this point," Manganiello said, referring to rumors he's set to wear the blue tights and red cape in the new film "Superman: Man of Steel" from director Zack Synder. "I love Zack Snyder, huge fan. I'd be honored if they chose to do that. We'll see. It's out there in the ether."

And what made his chances seem even more clear is that Hero Complex had something similar to say about his possible casting:

Joe Manganiello must be howling at the moon — the "True Blood" werewolf is definitely in the running for the new "Superman."

Here’s what we know: At last week’s Academy Bake Off, a celebration of visual effects in film, talk around the room (especially from the team working on the new “Superman”) said Manganiello kept popping up in serious talks about a new face for the franchise.

So really, there's no question Manganiello was close to landing the role, and with reliable sources making these claims the chances of this happening were even larger. Now what changed Snyder and Warner Bros. mind about Manganiello remains to be known, but we can give you confirmation that Cavill has gotten the part according to Snyder himself. According to a press release from Zack Snyder:

HENRY CAVILL WILL TAKE ON THE DUAL ROLE OF CLARK KENT / SUPERMAN IN THE NEW FILM FROM

WARNER BROS. PICTURES AND LEGENDARY PICTURES

BURBANK, CA, January 30, 2011 – Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced today that Henry Cavill has won the coveted role of Superman, the iconic superhero.

The film will be directed by Zack Snyder, who stated, “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. 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.”

Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder are the producers of the film. The screenplay is being written by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers.

Cavill recently wrapped production on “The Cold Light of Day” and stars in the upcoming “Immortals,” opening this fall.

Targeted for release in December 2012, the new Superman movie will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

So was Joe ever really the right man for the job? I know Cavill is. Joe would've made a pretty good Superman, but could he pull off the shy nerdy Clark Kent? I'm still sticking with Henry Cavill, who has the look, acting chops, and every other element needed to play Superman. While there will probably be those you will argue that Manganeillo's stature and physique would been more fitting for the Superman role, as far as actual character acting and facial features go Cavill is a dead ringer for the Man of Steel.

Cavill was originally intended to play many characters in the past. He was considered for Superman in Superman Returns, he was considered for Batman in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, the role of James Bond in Sam Mendes' Casino Royale, and even the role of Edward Cullen in Twilight. He was even named the most unlucky man in Hollywood, well it seems his luck has finally changed.

On another note, there's a new rumored title for the Superman reboot. Now it's been under the name The Man of Steel because that was originally the name of Bryan Singer's Superman Returns sequel, but now that it's been canceled no one from Warner Bros. has actually come out and officially named it The Man of Steel. Rumor is the name of the movie could be Kal-El, Superman's real name from his birth planet Krypton. But really, that's the last of our worries now because HENRY CAVILL IS SUPERMAN!!!!

What do you think of Cavill as Superman? Would Manganiello have been a better choice?