Who Is The New Superman, Henry Cavill?

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's … Henry Cavill?

The British star, 27, will play the man of steel and his bumbling alter ego Clark Kent in the new Superman movie, which will be directed by Watchmen's Zack Snyder. "In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time, and I am honored to be a part of his return to the big screen," Snyder said in a Warner Bros. release.

While they may not have chosen the "most recognized" actor to play the Krypton native, Snyder expressed ultimate faith in his leading man. "I also join Warner Bros., Legendary and the producers in saying how excited we are about the casting of Henry. He is the perfect choice to don the cape and the S shield."

Of course Cavill is not a complete stranger to showbiz. He is best know for playing Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk, on the Showtime series The Tudors, but also appeared on the big screen opposite James Franco in the 2006 adaptation of Tristan and Isolde, and he worked with Woody Allen in 2009's Whatever Works. This isn't even the first time that he's been considered to play Superman. He was in the running for the role in 2006's Superman Returns, but ultimately lost out to Brandon Routh.

When it comes to fame, Cavill has said, "Truly I don't consider myself famous … long way to go yet. But if anyone does ask for an autograph it's always a wonderful feeling …. " With The Dark Knight's David S. Goyer writing the script and producers like Christopher Nolan backing the project, it might be time to get that pen ready.

Superman: Man of Steel is set to release in December 2012. —KIMBERLY STEELE