5 Things You Probably Don’t Know About New Superman Henry Cavill

4. He Used to be the Unluckiest Man in Hollywood

Back in 2005, Empire Magazine wrote an article much to this effect. There’s certainly a case to be made for it: he was first set to play The Man of Tomorrow back in 2003 when McG was signed on to direct Superman: Flyby, just one in a long line of failed installments. The next year, he missed out on playing doomed Head Boy Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and, in 2005, he was director Martin Campbell‘s first choice for Bond in Casino Royale, though the producers overruled him and Daniel Craig nabbed it instead.

Playing Superman has previously proven detrimental to an actor’s career, enough so that there’s a whole Hollywood curse deal surrounding it, but Cavill’s future already seems assured. He’s been rumored to replace Tom Cruise in Warner Bros. adaptation of ’60s spy show The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and, if Man of Steel proves a success, one would assume Cavill would be first choice for any sequels. From zero franchises to two in the space of a couple of years? Maybe it’s a good thing Cavill got his run of bad luck out of the way early. Fingers crossed the film will reflect his new good fortune.