Henry Cavill Wears Christopher Reeves’ Superman Costume in Never-Seen Photos Revealed By Zack Snyder

It’s no secret that Superman is one of the most iconic superheroes of all time, likely the first that comes to mind when asked to think of a single superhero. And most of the actors who have put on the iconic Superman suit have been iconic themselves, with a few notable exceptions. But two actors stand out as the most well-known, with one being the face of the hero for an entire generation.

Christopher Reeve is that Superman actor, having brought the hero to life in one of the most beloved superhero movies of all time, all the way back in 1978 in Superman: The Movie. The other actor most well-known as Superman is Henry Cavill—though he had a harder time in achieving the same, or even close to, the level of critical acclaim that Reeves did in his tenure. But, to many, Cavill is who they think of when they think of Superman, bringing to mind a very clear-cut picture of the most well-known superhero. And it just so happens that there’s a connection between these two actors; when Cavill did his screen test for the role, he did so in Reeve’s original costume, cinching the role and cementing his place in comic book adaptation history. 

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We Get An Emotional Look At The Moment Cavill Was Cast

And now, new photos of Cavill from that fateful screen test have made their way to the internet, thanks to Zack Snyder’s nostalgic posts on Instagram. Posting a full body shot with some pretty perfect lighting, he captioned the photo, “Henry Cavill. The original Superman suit. This photo. It was undeniable.” He then went on to share a close-up of the man in the suit (which were actually the photos sent to Warner Bros. that got them to agree to Cavill getting the role).  “With the last image I shared, and this one we showed WB, everyone agreed: Henry Cavill was Superman. That’s where the journey began. – Merry Christmas,” he captioned these photos. And now, we have a bit more fuel for the speculation that Snyder may make a return to the franchise, especially with the new Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros.

Speaking with Total Film back in 2011, Cavill said about his casting, “It’s extremely cool. There’s no other feeling like it. They just put it on, I turned around and looked in the mirror and you can’t really play it cool—you sort of guffaw and laugh. I thought ‘OK, holy hell, this is real, it’s not a joke anymore. This is it […] you’re doing it, you’re right in the middle of it.’”

Justice League director Zack Snyder also had a lot to say about seeing Cavill in the iconic costume for the first time. “If you can put on that suit and pull it off, that’s an awesome achievement. He walked out, and no one laughed. Other actors put that suit on, and it’s a joke, even if they’re great actors. Henry put it on, and he exuded this kind of crazy-calm confidence that just made me go ‘Wow. Okay.’ This was Superman.”

Do you have a favorite Superman? Let us know in the comments, and then head over to the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.