Superman director and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn made some bold promises about Henry Cavill's replacement actor as the Man of Steel.
Setting aside Man of Steel star Henry Cavill after his final appearance in Black Adam, Gunn began the search for his replacement as Superman.
After a long process, the DCU boss landed on Pearl and Twisters actor David Corenswet for the coveted superhero, while The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan signed on to star opposite him as Lois Lane.
James Gunn Hypes Up David Corenswet's Superman
Speaking during DC Studios' Creature Commandos panel at New York Comic-Con 2024, James Gunn offered high praise for actor David Corenswet, who will replace Henry Cavill as Superman in the new rebooted DCU.
The DC Studios boss promised Corenswet is "going to blow people the f*** away" before noting his impressive acting ability across the board:
"David Corenswet is going to blow people the f*** away. He is the movie star that everyone dreams he could possibly be and I don't think anyone really understands the depth of this guy's talent - dramatically, comedically, he's the best physical action star I've probably ever worked with except for Frank [Grillo]."
Gunn also hyped up Lois Lane actress Rachel Brosnahan (who previously took home an Emmy award for Amazon Prime Video's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), saying that "people are going to die for her."
This isn't the first big praise for Brosnahan regarding Superman, as a post on X (formerly Twitter) from Deadline's Justin Kroll claimed the actress "delivered by far the best audition tape of anyone who read."
In a post on Threads, the filmmaker reminisced on the "magic" behind Corenswet and Brosnahan's first screen test together. He went on to call Superman's leading actors "two of the most extraordinary, vibrant, and meticulous actors" he has worked with in his many years as a director:
"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."
Going back to New York Comic-Con, Gunn spoke on Superman as a whole after wrapping in late July, teasing that "the edit is really close to being good:"
"The edit is really close to being good. I mean the movie's good so I feel good about it and I'm really hard on stuff, so it's been fantastic."
David Corenswet Leads the DCU to a Fantastic Start
While the movies he featured in may have faced mixed reactions, Henry Cavill was widely beloved as Superman. So, naturally, there was plenty of excitement when his DCEU return in Black Adam was announced, only for mass disappointment to emerge when James Gunn announced he would recast Cavill for the new DCEU.
From the beginning, David Corenswet emerged as a fan favorite due to his tall stature (standing at 6'4") and Clark Kent-esque appearance, which sent many over the moon when he was finally cast in Summer 2023.
While director Zack Snyder offered a darker, more grounded take across Cavill's tenure, Gunn appears to be taking a different direction with a more classic and hopeful Superman (who has been promised to "have a sense of humor.")
If Corenswet truly has captured the Superman energy as Gunn has promised, the DCU will be off to a fantastic start. After all, not only will the Twisters star headline his 2025 solo outing, but presumably also multiple sequels, crossovers, and, one day, the next iteration of the Justice League.
Gunn isn't even the first person on the Superman team to praise Corenswet, as Hawkgirl actress Isabela Merced told Screen Rant how he is "very much Superman" and she "admired working with him:"
"That man is an angel. He is very much Superman, he very much has that energy, and I admired working with him. His patience is incredible with his little tight suit in those hot days! I mean, he never complained once."
Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025.
