The New Superman is (Wait for It) Henry Cavill?

Yet again, Superman appears from out of the blue.

Warner Bros. announced today that the new Man of Steel will be played by relative unknown 27-year-old British actor Henry Cavill, whose highest profile past role was appearing in the Showtime series “The Tudors.”

“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,” said director Zac Snyder.

“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,” said Snyder.

Tentatively titled “Superman: Man of Steel,” the film is targeted for release in December 2012. Other actors potentially rumored for the role included Mad Man John Hamm and Joe Manganiello.

This is the second British actor in the last two weeks to be handed a monumental American superhero role. Andrew Garfield of “The Social Network” was just announced as the new Spiderman.

It's also the second time the studio has made an effort to reboot the Superman series in the last decade.

The 2006 version, “Superman Returns” was directed by Bryan Singer and starred previous unknown Brandon Routh. The film received a tepid reaction from critics and fans alike. According to Box Office Mojo, the film grossed $391 million worldwide on $270 worth of production costs.

The ultimate Man of Steel, Christopher Reeve, was also famously unknown when he was cast as the most universally revered of Supermen in the franchise's history.

What do you think of Henry Cavill as Superman? Is he right for the role? Will he be better than Brandon Routh?  Could he hold a candle to Christopher Reeve? Who would you have liked to see as Superman? Let us know on the Yidio Facebook page.

Bonus Material: Henry Cavill talks about his favorite film locations.