The news that Henry Cavill would be playing Superman for Zack Snyder first broke on a Sunday afternoon in January, so I guess it's no surprise that another huge bit of casting information has come on a slow weekend afternoon. According to The LA Times, Amy Adams has been cast to play Lois Lane in the film; Snyder phoned Adams today and gave her the news, and gave the following quote to the Times:
“There was a big, giant search for Lois. For us it was a big thing and obviously a really important role. We did a lot of auditioning but we had this meeting with Amy Adams and after that I just felt she was perfect for it.”
Contrary to earlier rumors that Lois might not even be part of the new Superman movie, Snyder called the character "a linchpin" of the story, and discussed updating the character for modern audiences and keeping her as part of "the same universe" as his new take on Superman:
“It goes back to what I’ve said about Superman and making him really understandable for today. What’s important to us is making him relevant and real and making him empathetic to today’s audience so that we understand the decisions he makes. That applies to Lois as well."
Adams, fresh off an Oscar nomination for The Fighter, had also been part of the discussion recently for the movie musical Rock of Ages; it's unclear if playing Lois will get in the way of that, but I can't really imagine how both might happen. Her name was never mentioned amid the many crazy Lois Lane rumors we saw in the last few months, most of which revolved around actresses younger than the 36-year-old Adams. She's a fair bit older than the 27-year-old Cavill, but in most incarnations of the character Lois is a professional, working journalist, a woman who needs to be more than a 24-year-old hottie.
More than anything Adams' casting excites me because she's a good actress capable of displaying strength and personality, something that's often hard for women to do when they're part of giant, male-centric superhero movies. Argue all you want about Snyder's attitude toward the young female leads of his new film Sucker Punch, but Adams seems undoubtedly a step in the right direction of female strength.
