Zack Snyder Shares New Look at Henry Cavill Wearing Christopher Reeve’s Superman Suit

Today is Henry Cavill‘s birthday and to celebrate the DCEU’s Man of Steel, Zach Snyder took to social media to share Cavill in a very special Superman costume — Christopher Reeve‘s.

Snyder posted the image on his Vero account, explaining that he put Cavill in the iconic suit to show Warner Bros. that Cavill was the perfect choice to play Superman in what would become 2013’s Man of Steel. You can check out the image below.

“This was the shot I did to show the studio that this was my Superman…they agreed,” Snyder wrote. “Got the suit from Warner archives and Henry honored it’s Legacy–Happy birthday my brother.”

It’s not a surprise that Warner Bros. agreed with Snyder. Even with Reeve’s suit being dramatically different from the one Cavill would wear in Man of Steel, Cavill still embodies the Superman character. The sunlight in the image gives him a bit of a glow as well, perhaps a bit of a preview of what it would look like during the scene in Man of Steel where he first learns to fly.

And Cavill didn’t just wear the Reeve suit for a photograph, either. Snyder told Dujour back in 2016 that, as the suit for Man of Steel hadn’t been made, Cavill wore Reeve’s suit for his audition as well — a move that may have contributed to him getting the role.

“We didn’t have the suit made when Henry was auditioning, so he wore the original Christopher Reeve suit,” Snyder said. “He put it on and when he came out of the trailer, everyone was like, ‘Dang, you’re Superman!’”

Putting an actor in a classic superhero costume for audition purposes isn’t unheard of. Christian Bale auditioned for Batman Begins wearing a suit from Joel Schumacher’s time directing Batman Forever and Batman & Robin but putting Cavill in Reeve’s suit feels like a more significant move. Reeve’s portrayal of Superman in the 1978 film is iconic, informing how the hero is perceived culturally as well as having influence over contemporary takes on the character and world. Even Syfy’s Superman series, Krypton — which is set before Superman is even born — has elements tying back to Superman.

As for Snyder, the photo is the latest post from the director who has been sharing quite a bit on Vero about his time working in the DCEU. In recent weeks Snyder has been sharing little tidbits — behind the scenes information, answering fan questions, explaining things — about Batman v Superman in particular, engaging with fans about that film and Man of Steel. He’s been considerably more quiet about Justice League.

What do you think about Cavill in Reeve’s suit? Share your thoughts in the comments below!