Henry Cavill expressed his excitement upon being cast in the 2013 $668 million film as the Man of Steel, beaming with an enormous smile.

Few characters in the superhero genre have held the attention of fans for multiple generations. Superman, the recognizable Man of Steel, is one such figure. There was an obvious happy clamor when word leaked out that Henry Cavill, 40, would be wearing the red cape. Nonetheless, the British actor’s response upon landing the part was even more than adorable.

Cavill’s joy was uncontrollable upon receiving the official Superman casting announcement. The Red Riding Hood actor spoke candidly with Collider about how delighted he was to receive the casting call from Man of Steel director Zack Snyder and how difficult it was for him to stay calm. The former instantly became roaring like a small child and running up and down the stairs with unbounded enthusiasm.
Henry Cavill as Superman

Excited Henry Cavill’s Shared His ‘Enormous’ Joyful Superman Story

The announcement of Henry Cavill’s casting as Clark Kent/Superman in Zack Snyder’s $668 million Man of Steel was made on January 30, 2011. After learning about it from the director’s phone call, the actor told Collider that he responded with an “enormous” smile. He was trying to sound calm during the phone conversation with Snyder. He began roaring and shouting as soon as he hung up, running up and down the stairs:
“My smile was absolutely enormous. I was trying very, very hard to play it cool on the phone with Zack Snyder when he called me. I thought, ‘Okay, play it cool. Not too cool, obviously. But, play it cool. As soon as I hung up, I was leaping up and down and running up and down the stairs and roaring and shouting, and then trying to call everyone.”
Henry Cavill
Even though he was thrilled and wanted to tell his well-knowns about the news, Cavill was a little let down when no one was available to take the call at the moment:
“No one picked up their phones believe it or not! Apart from my assistant. I eventually got through. I was trying to tell the news to everyone and no one was answering their phones!”
Although his first response might have been that of a delighted child, he soon realized the significance of the role he had taken on. It would take not only physical strength but also emotional maturity to play Superman. Consequently, The Witcher star said:
“As soon as I got the role, I was hopping backwards and forwards to L.A. for initial costume fittings and screen testing other actors and then it just all started..”
Henry Cavill as Superman

Henry Cavill On Donning His Man Of Steel Suit Again

Henry Cavill revealed that he never gave up hope of playing Superman again. Even so, when he eventually put the cape back on, he was taken aback by how emotional the experience was.

In an interview with MTV’s Josh Horowitz for the Happy Sad Confused podcast (via THR), Cavill recalled that he was working six days a week on The Witcher when an arrangement materialized for him to feature in a scene in Black Adam. The actor recalled that he needed The Witcher team’s approval but
“It was so top secret we couldn’t tell them what.”
Henry Cavill’s Superman made an appearance in Black Adam
He donned the outfit from 2013’s Man of Steel when he arrived at the Warner Bros. studio for the filming of Black Adam. He picked the suit because of its emotional significance. Cavill said this during a live taping of Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast:
“I chose that one in particular because of the nostalgia attached to the suit. It was incredibly important to me to be standing there and enjoying that moment. That is one of the top moments in my career. It feels great to have the opportunity to wear it again.”
He went on to say,
“There is such a bright future ahead for the character. I’m so excited to tell a story with an enormously joyful Superman.”
Henry Cavill in Black Adam
Cavill first appeared in the role in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, alongside Amy Adams as Lois Lane. Then came Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017). The actor will next be seen in and as Argylle, an upcoming spy action comedy film directed and produced by Matthew Vaughn. The Universal Pictures film is set to be released on February 2, 2024.

Man of Steel is streaming on Max.