Two important roles have been cast in writer-director James Gunn’s next filmSuperman: Legacyfeature. As first revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, it will be David Corenswet (“Pearl”, “We Own This City”) in the coveted role of Superman, aka Clark Kent, aka Kal-El, the last son of Krypton. Award-winning actress Rachel Brosnahan, of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” will star as Daily Planet ace reporter Lois Lane.
Gunn is attached to write and direct the live-action reboot of DC Comics’ iconic classic superhero, which debuted in 1938’s “Action Comics” Issue #1, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
‘Superman: Legacy’ cast its Superman and Lois Lane starring David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan
“Superman: Legacy” will be part of DC Studios’ first slate of new movies and shared multimedia universe under the direction of Gunn and Peter Safran. After a long search and casting process, Corenswet and Brosnahan were cast in the lead role.
Gunn reportedly filmed screen tests earlier this month with actors Nicholas Hoult and Tom Brittney, who were also contenders for the role of Big Blue. Emma Mackey and Phoebe Dynevor were also in the running for the role of the famous Lois Lane.
Gunn himself commented on the news on Tuesday, June 27. He noted on the casting of Corenswet and Brosnahan, “Precise! (They are not only amazing actors but also wonderful people).
Accurate! (They are not only amazing actors, but also wonderful people). https://t.co/1FtwYIDeYj
—James Gunn (@JamesGunn) June 27, 2023
Gunn and DC Studios are now looking to revive their brand on the big screen after a string of recent box office failures, including “Black Adam,” released last year, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” released in March, and more recently, “The Flash,” which quickly ran out of gas at the box office. Warner Bros. Pictures still has two more DC Comics features slated for release later this year, including “Blue Beetle” in August and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” in December.
Corenswet replaces actor Henry Cavill as the latest actor to play Superman in live action. Cavill made his last appearance as Superman in a surprise appearance on “Black Adam” the year before. At some point, Cavill announced he was officially back as Superman/Clark Kent. However, that didn’t work out as Gunn and Safran had other plans on how they wanted to handle the character in their new DC Universe and movie slate, as they wanted to feature a younger version of Superman. “Superman: Legacy” was later revealed as Gunn’s plan to bring DC’s iconic superhero back to the big screen.
Other actors who have portrayed Superman on the big screen in live-action feature films are Christopher Reeve, whose iconic multi-part performance, and Brandon Routh in Bryan Singer’s 2006 film, “Superman Returns.” “Superman Returns” failed to gain any further followings, and Routh never reprized the role. Cavill made his film debut as Superman in 2013’s “Man of Steel,” directed by Zack Snyder. He then appeared in three more films, including ‘Black Adam’, ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and ‘Justice League’.
The plan is for Gun to start filming the project early next year. THR notes that the casting search is now continuing for the role of iconic supervillain Lex Luthor and heroes known as The Authority, who are set to appear in “Legacy” before starring later in their film.
“Superman: Legacy” is slated for a July 11, 2025 release date.