Zack Snyder just gave Superman fans one heck of a holiday gift — and yeah, it hit straight in the feelings. Over Christmas, Snyder shared a series of behind-the-scenes photos of Henry Cavill wearing Christopher Reeve’s original Superman suit. These weren’t random throwbacks, either. According to Snyder, these were the images he showed Warner Bros. executives when he was pitching Cavill as the next Clark Kent for what would eventually become Man of Steel in 2013.
“Henry Cavill. The original Superman suit. This photo. It was undeniable,” Snyder wrote in one caption. In another, he added:
“With the last image I shared, and this one, we showed WB [and] everyone agreed: Henry Cavill was Superman. That’s where the journey began.”
Cavill would go on to play Superman across three films in Snyder’s DC Universe: Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League. But as DC fans know all too well, that journey didn’t exactly end cleanly. After Justice League, Cavill disappeared from the role for five years, leaving his future as the Man of Steel permanently stuck in limbo. Then came the brief but explosive comeback.
What Happened to Henry Cavill?
In 2022, Cavill surprised audiences with a post-credits appearance in Black Adam, setting the internet on fire and seemingly confirming what fans had been begging for. Reports quickly followed that a standalone Superman sequel starring Cavill was in development, with the studio actively hearing pitches from writers. The tease pointed toward a massive clash between Superman and Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam — a direction that felt like DC finally committing to its long-promised roadmap.
Cavill himself confirmed the news shortly after, writing on Instagram, “I am back as Superman. Thank you for your support and thank you for your patience. I promise it will be rewarded.”
Just days later, he doubled down during a live recording of Happy Sad Confused at 92NY, saying, “There is such a bright future ahead for the character. I’m so excited to tell a story with an enormously joyful Superman.”
And then… it all unraveled. Almost immediately after Cavill’s announcement, it was revealed that James Gunn and Peter Safran were taking over DC Studios and launching an entirely new DC Universe. That shift effectively closed the book on Snyder’s era — and on Cavill’s Superman. Gunn later acknowledged just how messy the timing was, calling it an “unfair” situation for Cavill.
“The day our [DC] deal closed, all of a sudden, they were announcing that Henry was back,” Gunn explained. “And I’m like, ‘What is going on?’ … It was really unfair to him anda total bummer.”
Gunn emphasized that he and Safran met with Cavill directly to explain the reboot plans, praising the actor’s grace throughout the process. Cavill’s only request, according to Gunn, was that he be allowed to share the news himself.
Man of Steel is streaming now on HBO Max.
