“Tudors” star Henry Cavill is set to star as the man-of-steel in director Zach Snyder’s Superman reboot for Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures.

Said Snyder (via 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.

Cavill, best known for his role of Charles Brandon on Showtime’s “The Tudors,” does hold some genre creds under his belt, namely Joel Schmacher’s survival-frightener Blood Creek and Dimension Films’ Hellraiser: Hellworld. The 27-year-old Brit also headlines director Tarsem Singh’s Clash of the Titans inspired fantasy-adventure Immortals.

Superman is slated for release on Dec. 2012.