JOIN USThe 27-year-old will slip into the famous blue tights and a red cape for the 2012's 'Superman: Man of Steel' by Warner Bros for the new reboot, which will be directed by Zack Synder of the 300 film fame, Daily Mail reported.
Filming of the Warner Brothers backed film will commence at Vancouver Film Studios, this summer. Cavill had auditioned for the role as the capped crusader for 2006's 'Superman Returns', but the role eventually went to Routh.
He will also follow the lead of the late Christopher Reeve, who starred in four of the feature films in the 1970s and 1980s.
"In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time, and I am honoured to be a part of his return to the big screen," he said in a statement.
"He's got an amazing quality. He doesn't look too much like Reeve and Routh but he's big and strong and he has a very modern feel to him," a Warner Bros official said.
Interestingly, Cavill was Stephenie Meyer's choice to play Edward Cullen for the film adaptation of 'Twilight' books, which finally went to Robert Pattinson and helped him to instand fame.
Cavill had to drop out because by the time shooting started, he was 24-years-old and could no longer portray a youth of 17.