Henry Cavill: 'Man of Steel' Star to Replace Tom Cruise in 'Man From UNCLE' ?
Man of Steel won't be out for a few weeks, but its Super-star Henry Cavill is already capitalizing on his biggest role yet.
Cavill, who will play Superman in the film opening June 14, is in talks to replace Tom Cruise in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., an update of the 1960s spy show to be directed by Guy Ritchie.
Cruise dropped the project last in order to continue with the long-running Mission Impossible series. Cruise stars as agent Ethan Hunt in the series, which began in 1996. The fourth film in the franchise, 2011's Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, made $694 million at the box office.
U.N.C.L.E. follows the adventures of American secret agent Napoleon Solo, who works for United Network Command for Law Enforcement and participates in the organization's battle against the agents of the group Thrush.
Armie Hammer, who will star in the upcoming Lone Ranger film, is set to co-star as Solo's Russian counterpart Illya Kuryakin. Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, who recently appeared in Anna Karenina, is attached to the film as its female lead.
The film has long been in the works and had numerous incarnations. Variety reported that an early version would have starred George Clooney, working with director Steven Soderbergh. Other possible stars included Johnny Depp, Channing Tatum, Ben Affleck and Bradley Cooper.
Studio executives at Warner Brothers making the U.N.C.L.E. film, have put their faith in Cavill and believe he can carry a series, even one without an established audience. A previous Cavill blockbuster, Immortals, grossed $226 million worldwide.
Cavill had originally met to play Hammer's role back when Cruise was scheduled to take on the lead role.
Production is set to begin in the fall and Cavill has a clean slate; another film he was schedule to star in, the supernatural film The Great Wall, has been held indefinitely, according to TheWrap.com.
Warner Brothers is also considering him as a possible co-star opposite Thor star Chris Hemsworth in In the Heart of the Sea, the tale of a 19th century whaling expedition gone wrong.
