According to Superman: Legacy star Rachel Brosnahan, "humor" is what fans can expect from cinema's next Superman.
Set to release July 11, 2025, Superman: Legacy is the first film of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU reboot with Rachel Brosnahan playing Lois Lane and David Corenswet replacing SnyderVerse star Henry Cavill.
James Gunn has noted how his Man of Steel differs from Cavill, but Brosnahan had more to share about DC's new Son of Krypton.
David Corenswet's 'Sense of Humor' in Superman: Legacy
When asked about putting her unique spin on Superman: Legacy's Lois Lane, Rachel Brosnahan praised James Gunn and the team's Superman fandom to Entertainment Tonight before saying, "I think this Superman'll have a sense of humor:"
“I’ve really enjoyed the collaboration with James Gunn so far. Every single person involved in this production is such a perfect nerd for Superman. We all grew up watching the movies, some of us grew up reading the comics, and so I feel like it’s being made with so much love. And I think this Superman’ll have a sense of humor without getting [into spoilers]."
Known for his roles in Pearl and The Politician, James Gunn cast 30-year-old David Corenswet as Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters' Superman in June 2023.
Not only is the actor younger than Henry Cavill by design, but Gunn has also said that his Superman joins "a world in which superheroes already exist," contrasting Cavill's Clark Kent in Man of Steel.
What's interesting about Brosnahan's comments concerning Corenswet's hero having "a sense of humor" is that it sounds like another departure from Cavill and Zack Snyder's sacrificial savior.
Brosnahan confessed her and Corenswet's excitement to "put our own spin on things" but "honor this material that we all love:"
"I’m rolling through my brain all the things I’m not allowed to say. But we’re excited to both put our own spin on things, but also honor this material that we all love so much.”
When asked three adjectives to describe her "spin" on Lois Lane, the new DC star replied, "Ooh, feisty. Dare I say, marvelous. And fiercely intelligent.”
How James Gunn & Zack Snyder's Supermans Are Similar
The fact that James Gunn's Superman and Superman: Legacy will have "a sense of humor" isn't surprising. It's a given.
After all, Gunn earned his accolades, as well as his DC Studios job, for projects like Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker.
If Zack Snyder's style can be described as serious and muted, then Gunn's is color and fun.
However, since Henry Cavill and Synder's interpretations are still fresh in audiences' minds, any comment on how Legacy departs from the familiar will generate fan attention.
And, since some fans feel both Zack Snyder's SnyderVerse and Henry Cavill were abandoned, the same comments are sure to spark backlash.
Such conversations and further comparisons are likely inevitable as Superman: Legacy begins.
What helps is acknowledging that the two directors are alike in terms of relying on an emotional core for their characters and stories, and that's something audiences are sure to get from both Gunn and Corenswet in 2025.
Superman: Legacy arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.
