Zack Snyder no longer waiting for his Superman

Tom Welling may have to wait an extra week to throw on a pair of blue tights after this week's announcement that Smallville will return on February 4 instead of January 28 as previously planned--but not everyone is so hesitant to super-suit up.

Cavill

Numerous reports, including E! News, have Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures releasing a statement today naming Henry Cavill, best known as the king's best friend on Showtime's The Tudors, as Superman in Zack Snyder's upcoming Superman: The Man of Steel movie.

Cavill himself hasn't yet made a statement, but Zack Snyder is quoted in the press release:
"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. 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 S shield."

The choice seems to straddle the well-established Superman path of casting an unknown with the safer financial move of using somebody that people can recognize and get behind. While The Tudors hasn't ever been the kind of ratings colossus that The Sopranos or even Weeds have been on pay cable, reviews have always been great and the show's fans have been vocal and loyal.

I had been expecting to see an announcement come out of the studio soon, with rumors seeming to increase in frequency and in the level of credence the media was giving them, particularly after sources claiming to be close to the production told the press last week that True Blood's Joe Manganiello was a done deal.