Henry Cavill: The First Time I Wore Superman's Suit

Henry Cavill, 27, was worried he might look silly.

It was big news for superhero fans when Warner Bros. recently announced that Henry Cavill would fill the role of Superman in the upcoming remake of the DC Comics classic. But according to the British actor it was never a sure thing for him. “All I could think was: Oh, god. They’re going to look at me and go, ‘He’s not Superman. Not a chance,’” Cavill told MTV.com of his screen test for the role, in which he was forced to squeeze into a replica of Christopher Reeve's Superman original costume. “The actor inside me was going: ‘You’re not ready! You’re not ready!’”

Not, apparently, according to director Zack Snyder, 44, who felt quite the opposite.

“He walked out, and no one laughed,” said Snyder. “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.”

Known most notably for his role as a roguish ladies man and confident of King Henry VIII on Showtime’s The Tudors, Cavill has also appeared in the fantastical yarn Stardust and the darker tale of The Count of Monte Cristo. He is also slated to star in the upcoming epic, Immortals, which comes out this November. –SAM LACROIX