A new Superman art book has confirmed one advantage that David Corenswet's Superman has over Henry Steel's version of the DC superhero. Cavill served as the DCEU's Superman in three major big-screen outings before Corenswet replaced him in James Gunn's 2025 DCU reboot. While both actors portray versions of the same comic book character, there were some definite differences between Cavill and Corenswet's Supermen.
The recent release Superman: The Art and Making of the Film confirms that Corenswet's Superman has already traveled to different planets in the DCU by the time he first appears on-screen in the 2025 film. Superman's production designer, Beth Mickle, noted in the book that Superman has a "zoo of aliens" that he "collected from other planets" to study. These species are stored in the hero's Kryptonian base, the Fortress of Solitude:
Beth Mickle: "Superman had a zoo of aliens, creatures that he collected from other planets. He was always collecting flora and fauna from other planets and studying them."
Superman's experience with other planets and galaxies in James Gunn's DCU reboot gives him an advantage over the DCEU's version, as Cavill's Superman had seemingly not traveled offworld when the audience met him in Man of Steel. In contrast, Corenswet's version has left Earth enough times to compile a zoo of different species.
Corenswet's character's understanding of alien specimens and foreign planets provides him with a knowledge base that Cavill's iteration didn't have, which gives him an advantage heading into any battles featuring intergalactic species.
This was on display in 2025's Superman in several instances. One instance occurs during the fight sequence with the Kaiju, during which Superman and the Justice League have differing opinions on how to handle the beast. Superman's history with alien species leads him to want to capture the Kaiju alive, and he tells Mr. Terrific that he wants to "Get it someplace where we can study it." After the Justice Gang ends up killing the creature, Superman reprimands them, saying, "I was hoping we could capture it and take it to an intergalactic zoo...", which may have been the hero subtly referring to his own zoo.
Later in the film, Superman is seemingly nonchalant about the arrival of a giant flying alien over Metropolis, which the Justice Gang is battling in the background. He tells Lois, "That’s just some dimensional imp," suggesting he already has plenty of experience with the creatures and knows the Justice Gang will be able to handle it alone.
In contrast, Henry Cavill's Superman has always been much more tied to Earth, with the only other planet he's explicitly been to being Krypton before he was sent to Earth. Therefore, when intergalactic threats like Darkseid and Steppenwolf appear on his doorstep, Cavill's Superman is much less versed in their mythology than Corenswet's version might be.
Superman was released in cinemas on July 11, 2025. The film, directed by DC Studios co-head James Gunn, starred Corenswet alongside Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), Edi Gathegi (Mr Terrific), Nathan Fillion (Green Lantern), and Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl).
Why Superman’s Intergalactic Knowledge Will Be an Asset in Future DCU Films
Superman's worldly knowledge and his interest in understanding alien species (rather than eliminating them) are very in line with the character's peace-nurturing comic book roots, but it may also serve him well in future DCU films.
The next obvious example will be in the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, which is due for release in 2027. Rumors suggest that Brainiac will be one of the major villains in Man of Tomorrow, who, in DC comics, is an alien character from the planet Colu. This could become an instance where Superman's offworld knowledge of aliens could be a great asset to the team, particularly as he'll be partnering with Lex Luthor, who has a known disdain for aliens.
Additionally, Supergirl's plot involves an intergalactic bounty hunter, Lobo, coming to Earth, which is another example of the alien threats that are frequenting the Kryptonians' new planet. Supergirl, like her cousin, is confirmed to have travelled offworld since her arrival on Earth, with Superman revealing in the final scenes that Kara "likes to go and party on other planets. Planets with red suns." It's unclear whether rumors about Corenswet's Superman appearing in Supergirl will be true. If they are, then Kal-El's in-depth knowledge of other alien planets could be of great use to his cousin's situation.
