Before the DCEU was formed,Zack Snyderwas brought on to direct a new Superman movie entitledMan of Steel, with the filmmaker choosing British actorHenry Cavillto portray Superman/Clark Kent. The director told us during our 2011Man of Steel set visitthat, when they auditionedHenry Cavill, they didn’t have a suit designed yet, so the director planned on letting the actor useChristopher Reeve’s iconic suit from hisSupermanmovies, but the studio wouldn’t let him, so they made a replica costume based on that suit’s design. The rest, of course, is history, but earlier today, the filmmaker shared a behind-the-scenes photo from that audition, revealingHenry Cavillwearing this suit for the first time. Here’s whatZack Snyderhad to say about this costume process during our set visit.
“When we tested Henry, we didn’t have a costume, so we put him in theChristopher Reevecostume, right, just because Warner Bros. owns it. So I was like, ‘Oh, just put him in that. It’s fine. We’ll know whether it’ll work, right?’ Of course, then Warner Bros. said, ‘You’re not allowed to use our costume because it’s collectors. It’s worth millions of dollars.’ I was like, ‘It’s okay. Fair enough.’ So we made one based on it. So we ended up doing R&D. He put it on and the point is is that it’s iconographic. Nobody laughed even though it was ridiculously goofy when you actually looked at it, the costume itself, theChristopher Reeve costume. The shoes are made out of tape. It’s like, a disaster, right? So, ours was okay. It was the whole thing and it’s spandex and it’s really not cool.”
Before he landed this Superman role,Henry Cavillhad tested for a project that never saw the light of day entitledSuperman Flyby, that ultimately lead toBryan Singer’s 2006 filmSuperman Returns, which starredBrandon Routhas the Man of Steel.Zack SnyderandHenry Cavill’s 2013 Superman movieMan of Steel($668 million worldwide) was a much bigger hit thanSuperman Returns($390.1 million worldwide), and just one month afterMan of Steelhit theaters, Warner Bros. announcedBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justiceat Comic-Con 2013, which helped spawn the massive DCEU universe.Zack Snyderdebuted this behind-the-scenes photo on the social media app Vero, which later surfaced onTwitter.
This photo comes at an interesting time, since fans are wondering how the Man of Steel will figure into theJustice Leaguestory, since he sacrificed himself to take out Doomsday inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The very last shot of that film did tease that Superman is still alive, but we haven’t seen him at all in any of the trailers or photos that have been released at this time. DirectorZack Snyderdid tease in a recent interview that Superman does play a “big part” inJustice League, and that his “presence and lack of presence” are both huge story points in the movie. With more than seven months left untilJustice Leaguehits theaters, it remains to be seen if Superman will be revealed in any of theJustice Leaguefootage that surfaces between now and then.
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired bySuperman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash, it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.Justice LeaguestarsBen Affleckas Batman,Henry Cavillas Superman,Gal Gadotas Wonder Woman,Ezra Milleras The Flash,Jason Momoaas Aquaman andRay Fisheras Cyborg. The cast also includesJ.K. Simmonsas Commissioner Gordon,Willem Dafoeas Nuidis Vulko,Amber Heardas Mera and, reprising theirMan of SteelandBatman v Supermanroles,Amy AdamsandDiane Laneas Lois Lane and Martha Kent. Take a look at this photo ofZack Snyderin aChristopher Reevereplica costume during hisMan of Steelaudition.
