David Korensuet and Rachel Brosnahan
After a long search, David Korenswet and Rachel Brosnahan will star Superman: Legacythe film that will usher in the new DC universe under writer-director Gunn and his DC Studios co-head, Peter Safran.
Corrensuet and Brosnahan were among six actors in the running for the lead roles, with Gunn filming screen tests over the weekend of June 17 with Nicholas Hoult and Tom Britney also in the running to play Superman/Clark Kent and Emma Mackie and Phoebe Dinever in the running for Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane.
Few roles are as coveted — or come with as much pressure — as Superman. That’s doubly true in the current landscape, as Corenswet will anchor a new universe as DC tries to reinvent itself after a string of missteps with October Black AdamMarch Shazam! Wrath of the Gods and the recent one The lightning. Only three actors have played the character on the big screen, with Christopher Reeve’s career-defining work in 1978. Superman launching the modern superhero genre and spawning three sequels. Brandon Routh stars in Bryan Singer’s film Superman is back (2006), a film that failed to set the box office on fire and resulted in him being one and done. And a decade ago, Henry Cavill starred in Zack Snyder’s film Man of Steelthe film that launched the DC Extended Universe and made Cavill a fan-favorite actor for his solid work as Clark Kent.
Cavill kept popping up Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and League of Justice (2017) and after years away from the role, appeared in a cameo in Black Adam (2022) and announced his intention to participate in more Superman projects. This was all before Gunn and Safran were hired to revamp DC, which included plans for a younger Superman.
Superman: Legacy has a release date of July 11, 2025. The Superman the project will be the first film to be entirely produced under the direction of Gunn and Safran. The Lightning the film was released under new studio management; this film, which was plagued by bad publicity made by star Ezra Miller, earned a disappointing $55 million in its opening weekend.
Legacy marked a huge shift in Corenswet’s career, not only landing at No. 1 on the invite list for a studio film for the first time, but doing so as one of pop culture’s most enduring heroes. The actor first broke out in the Ryan Murphy series the politician which was followed by a starring role in another Murphy-backed Netflix series Hollywood. Other credits include HBO series We own this city and A24 horror sequel, Pearl. Next is the Apple series Lady in the Lake and Twister sequel Twisters.
Brosnahan is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner for her acclaimed series The wonderful Mrs. Meisel. She became famous with House of cards, which earned her an Emmy nomination. Three actors have previously played Lois Lane on the big screen. Margot Kidder gave a defining performance full of wit and courage from 1978. Superman and its three sequels, in which she starred alongside Christopher Reeve. Kate Bosworth played Lois in a 2006 film Superman: Homecomingwhile Amy Adams brought the character to life Man of Steel (2016) and also participated in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and League of Justice (2017).
“I totally relate to Superman because he’s everything that I am,” Gunn said The Hollywood Reporter in April for a cover story. “He’s a guy who’s an outsider who feels like an alien, but he’s also the ultimate insider because he’s the fucking Superman. And that’s kind of what I feel.”