Meet the Man of Steel

When it comes to the remakes of our greatest superheroes, the British have taken over. Last summer, Andrew Garfield came from over the pond to take the role of Spider-Man from Tobey Maguire and Christian Bale played Gotham's hero, Batman. Now, in July 2013, Henry Cavill will be gracing the screen as the man of steel himself: Superman.

The wait for a new Superman film has been a long one, and it is no doubt that DC Comics has fallen behind Marvel when it comes to movies. However, DC is not going down without a fight. It was released a long time ago, about the time that the last Superman movie came out in 2006, that there would be a sequel titled Man of Steel. Originally, the release date was sometime in 2009, but production of the Superman reboot, along with The Justice League of America, was delayed. Casting for the movie did not start until 2010, and with it came an onslaught of rumors. Unlike most other heroes, Superman was always played by a relatively unknown actor, or at least someone not as popular as, say, the actors that portrayed Batman on the silver screen. There were ideas that Jon Hamm, best known for his role in Mad Men would be adorning the big red S, or even True Blood's Joe Manganiello. It was not until early 2011 that Henry Cavill was announced as the new Superman.

Though he had appeared here in there in a couple movies, not much was known about Cavill. So I am here to let DC fans know all about their new hero before they get to see him in theaters, hopefully stopping any and all negative feedback. He was born just off the coast of Normady, France and was raised there with his brothers - he is the second youngest of four. His interest in acting began early and he starred in many school productions, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream, Grease, and Hamlet. When he was seventeen years old, Cavill was asked to star in The Count of Monte Cristo. From there, he went on to act in multiple British TV series. While the majority of his parts were in shows and movies popular only to the British audiences, he soon began to appear in movies that became well-known in America. He acted alongside big names in Red Riding Hood, Hellraiser: Hellworld, Tristian & Isolde, and Stardust.

Surprisingly, in the past he has been considered for some big name roles. He was Stephanie Meyer's first choice to play Edward Cullen, but was deemed too old for the part (although for his reputations sake, I would call that a close call). He also lost the role of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to Robert Pattinson. He was a contender for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale and even performed a final screen test. However, this time he was too young and the part went to Daniel Craig instead. That same year, he was being heavily considered for Superman Returns, but casting agents put Brandon Routh in the role. This slew of almost acting jobs lead Empire Magazine to name Cavill the most unlucky man in Hollywood in late 2006.

Luckily, his streak of being skipped over when it came to casting did not last long. In 2007, he was cast in a leading role in Showtime's hit television show The Tudors. It was nominated for a Golden Globe and won an Emmy the following year. Cavill was dubbed Most Dashing Duke by Entertainment Weekly for his portrayal of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk. The show ended in 2010, but this was not the end of Cavill's acting career. He played a lead part as Theseus in Immortals and, just last year, appeared alongside big name actors Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver in The Cold Light of Day. It was not too long after that it was released that he would be playing one of the most well-known heroes DC Comics has to offer, an American icon.

In an interview with Details Magazine, the Londoner had this to say about him, a man who still resides in England, playing an American favorite. It's about who looks right for the character and for the generation itâs being cast for. If you only look at the American market, you're narrowing down your options and awful lot. The point of acting is to pretend you're someone else and sell a story. Chris Hemsworth is an Australian man, not a god from Asgaard. Though he may not be a born and bred American man, it is safe to say that, like the many British (and Australian, nobody will forget Hemsworth as the God of Thunder) actors before him, Cavill will shine on the silver screen. Do not miss Man of Steel, coming June 14th to a theater near you.