Zack Snyder Celebrates 15 Years with Exclusive First Look at Henry Cavill’s Classic Superman Suit: “Just Before He Became a Legend”

Zack Snyder has unveiled a rare early snapshot of Henry Cavill as Superman, captured a couple of years prior to the debut of Man of Steel.

“15 years ago, on this day, I pressed the shutter and met Superman. The first photo I ever took of Henry Cavill – moments before he stepped into legend. Shot on my Nikon,” the director shared in an Instagram post.

The post quickly garnered over a thousand comments, with fans lauding Snyder’s portrayal of the DC hero and rallying for the #RestoreTheSnyderverse movement. One user declared, “Absolute legend,” while another chimed in, “I have seen enough. Let’s get the team together and shoot Justice League 2 and 3 with IMAX cameras.”

Cavill portrayed Superman in three of Snyder’s films: 2013’s Man of Steel, 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League. He also made a cameo in the post-credits scene of Black Adam in 2022, hinting at a potential return, but his Superman, along with much of the DCEU, was left behind. Following this, James Gunn and Peter Safran took the reins at DC Studios, casting David Corenswet as the new Superman for the upcoming sequel, Superman: Man of Tomorrow.

Since the new Superman film launched last summer, fans have passionately debated online over which film reigns supreme: Man of Steel or Superman, even discussing who would emerge victorious in a showdown between the two iconic versions of the hero. The verdict on that remains undecided.

While reminiscing about the now-defunct DCEU, Snyder is also focused on his next project, The Last Photograph, which follows an ex-DEA operative on a quest to find his missing, recently orphaned niece and nephew, aided by a war photographer. He’s reuniting with Rebel Moon stars Stuart Martin and Fra Fee, along with 300 screenwriter Kurt Johnstad for this new venture.

As for the evolving DC Universe, the next installment is Supergirl, set to hit theaters on June 26.