Zack Snyder laid the foundation for the now-defunct DC Extended Universe with his 2013 film starring Henry Cavill. Departing from traditional portrayals, Snyder offered a darker interpretation of the iconic character, who is generally seen as a beacon of hope. Despite this departure, Cavill’s portrayal has continued to resonate with fans, earning him praise for capturing the essence of Superman.
Warner Bros. Refused to Utilize Christopher Reeve’s Suit For Henry Cavill
In an interview with Collider, the Man of Steel director reflected on how they created the suit for Henry Cavill’s Superman in DCEU. Describing it as a “very difficult suit,” the filmmaker shared that he went through every possible version of the suit for the movie.
“I have seen every possible version of that suit, versions with underwear, versions without underwear, but I’ll say that we had versions without the red, without a cape, with a cape, everything you can imagine. Just to look, to see it. It’s funny because the suit, it’s really all about, for me, it’s all about like, sort of the squint test kinda concept. Like, it’s gotta be Superman instantly, but it also can’t… “
However, when it came to testing Cavill for the role of the Kryptonian superhero, they did not have a costume. Considering Warner Bros. has preserved the classic suit from Christopher Reeve’s Superman movies, Snyder asked the studio to lend them the suit for testing.
The studio, however, refused to follow up with his request, saying that Reeve’s costume was part of their “collectors” and they would not allow him to use it for the 2013 film. Zack Snyder recalled the studio rejecting his request, saying,
“When we tested Henry, we didn’t have a costume, so we put him in the Christopher Reeve costume, right, just because Warner Bros. owns it. So I was like, “Oh, just put him in that. It’s fine. We’ll know whether he can — 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. So we made one based on it. So we ended up doing R&D.'”
The Watchmen director shared that the rejection led to their own research and development of the suit. Snyder also emphasized that while he wanted the costume to instantly evoke the image of the superhero, he also wanted to have enough details to avoid being overly simplistic.
Henry Cavill Tested in a Replica of Christopher Reeve’s Costume
While auditioning for the role of Superman, Cavill wore a replica of Christopher Reeve’s costume. Sharing the test shots of the Justice League actor in the costume, Snyder later said, “I knew right away he was my Superman.”
While the studio initially rejected his request, it seems he was able to get his hands on the suit, as the filmmaker later shared a test image on Vero, saying that it was the shot that convinced the studio to cast Cavill as Superman. He said, as per Entertainment Weekly,
“This was the shot I did to show the studio that this was my Superman… they agreed — Got the suit from Warner archives and Henry honored it’s Legacy.”
Snyder has also shared that, unlike other actors who struggled to embody the character, the Argylle star resonated unique blend of confidence and calmness as he donned the Superman suit. As soon as he saw Cavill in the costume, the filmmaker was convinced that he had found his Superman.
Man of Steel is available to stream on Max.
