Summary
- David Corenswet will star as Superman in the upcoming DCU film, showcasing a "genuine purity" that fits the character's persona.
- Director Lee Isaac Chung expresses confidence in Corenswet's ability to portray an optimistic and larger-than-life Man of Steel on screen.
- Corenswet's dream and ambition to play Superman have been realized, as he takes on the iconic role in the film following his time on set for Twisters .
Before fans get to see David Corenswet don the red cape as Superman in the highly-anticipated DCU film by James Gunn next year, he’s set to hit the big screen this coming weekend in Twisters. Now, director Lee Isaac Chung reveals that Gunn got lucky when it came to locking in Corenswet as Superman, saying that in terms of his performance, "he’s going to kill it." Corenswet stars alongside Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones in the new disaster flick which serves as a sequel to the 1996 original, Twister, which starred Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton.
Appearing on the Inside Total Film podcast, Chung recalled the cast and crew of Twisters cheering on Corenswet to book the role of Superman, as it was a part he went to audition for while they were filming the new sequel. He says that Corenswet’s "genuine purity" fits with the overall character of Superman, while at the same time calling the 31-year-old actor "larger than life."
"So David was going out for that role when we were filming. I remember, we were all really secretly rooting for him. When we found out he was on a shortlist, a lot of us were saying, 'You know, he actually would be a great Superman.'
"He is such an imposing and big presence and larger than life – but there’s this genuine purity to him, in a weird way, that I feel fits in a lot with Superman. I remember when he came back from doing auditions in LA. He came back to set, and he was still carrying that Superman to us. He’s someone who stays within the role a little bit. I’m not saying he’s method, but he kind of takes on that aura a little bit."
Superman (2025)
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in Warner Bros.' rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill's departure from the role, honoring the character's roots as "the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way."
- Release Date
- July 11, 2025
- Director
- James Gunn
- Cast
- David Corenswet , Rachel Brosnahan , María Gabriela De Faría , Edi Gathegi , Nicholas Hoult , Frank Grillo , Nathan Fillion , Milly Alcock , Sara Sampaio , Pruitt Taylor Vince , Skyler Gisondo , Anthony Carrigan , Wendell Pierce , Beck Bennett , Sean Gunn
- Main Genre
- Superhero
Chung would go on to reveal that he had a good idea that Corenswet had landed the role in Superman just by the way he was acting when he returned to the set of Twisters. According to him, James Gunn "lucked out" by getting Corenswet to fill the massive red boots of the iconic character, and says he has no doubts that the Twisters star is "going to kill it."
"When he came back from that audition, I remember feeling like he must have got it. It was this weird sense that I had that he just looked the part. He just felt the part to me. Man, I feel like James Gunn has lucked out finding this guy, because he’s a real discovery, and he’s going to kill it."
David Corenswet first came into the public consciousness thanks to his 2014 web series, Moe & Jerryweather, where he portrayed one half of a comedy duo trying to create a new kind of television series in the ever-evolving landscape of Hollywood. His first major film role came by way of 2018’s political thriller, Affairs of the State, and following a few bit parts in various film and television projects, he landed the part of River Barkley in the Netflix series The Politician.
That being said, Corenswet has always had a dream to play Superman, calling it his "pie-in-the-sky ambition" back in 2019 when the internet started comparing his appearance to that of another Superman icon, Henry Cavill. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly at the time, the actor revealed that he would love to see a more "optimistic" take on the legendary superhero than those that have been portrayed in films recently, which he called "gritty."
"My pie-in-the-sky ambition is definitely to play Superman. I would love to see somebody do an upbeat, throwback [take on Superman]. I love the Henry Cavill dark and gritty take, but I would love to see the next one be very bright and optimistic."
James Gunn Breaks His Silence on Wave of Superman Set Leak Photos
James Gunn isn't shaken by recent leaks of the set of the upcoming 2025 Superman movie. He also promises that nothing major has been soiled.
For his part, director James Gunn said last month that the screen test between Corenswet and Superman co-star Rachel Brosnahan, who will portray Lois Lane in the movie, "was like magic," and that the last year with the pair on set has been "wonderful."
"One year ago today David and Rachel screen-tested for Clark and Lois. When they first read together it was like magic. What a wonderful year it's been with two of the most extraordinary, vibrant, and meticulous actors I've ever had the opportunity to work with. I can't wait for you to see them on screen in just a little over a year."
Superman is set to hit theaters on July 11, 2025, and you can catch David Corenswet in Twisters when it premieres on July 19, 2024.