The many faces of Superman

Henry Cavill is to play the man of steel in the next Superman movie, it was announced this week. We take a look a five other actors who have donned the red cape.

The many faces of the Man of Steel

Henry Cavill, the smouldering British actor who set hearts aflutter in The Tudors, has just been cast as the next Superman. The movie, Superman: Man of Steel, is due out in 2012. Here are five other men who donned the unforgettable blue and red Lycra suit:

Take five... George Reeves

Reeves became famous, in the 1950s, for playing the superhero on the small screen - in the Adventures of Superman. The actor was portrayed by Ben Affleck in the 2006 movie, Hollywoodland.

Take four... Brandon Routh

The former model and Christopher Reeve lookalike was virtually unknown in Hollywood when he was cast in 2006's Superman Returns. Although the movie was received warmly by critics, bringing in almost $400 million (Dh1.46bn) worldwide, Routh did not make the cut for the latest Superman movie.

Take three... Dean Cain

This chiselled and cheesy actor also starred as Superman, in the wildly popular TV series, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Teri Hatcher, the Desperate Housewives star, played Lois Lane, Superman's love interest.

Take two... Tom Welling

It looks like the public can't get enough of the superhero's early years, with Smallville - which stars Tom Welling as a teenage Clark Kent - running for a record breaking 10 seasons, the last of which will end this year.

Take one... Christopher Reeve

As important to Superman as Sean Connery is to James Bond, the late Christopher Reeve epitomised the all-American superhero. The 1978 movie, in which he first starred as Clark Kent, was a global success.