Superman: Legacy - David Corenswet's Vision Of Clark Kent Is Opposite To Henry Cavill
David Corenswet's iron will to play the Man of Steel paved the way for his casting as the DC superhero in "Superman: Legacy." Making Corenswet's resolve more interesting, though, is that the up-and-coming actor already had his approach to the character mapped out years ago — long before he auditioned for writer-director James Gunn.
During a 2019 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Corenswet said he was quite aware of fans saying he resembled the then-Superman actor Henry Cavill. "It came to my attention before the internet got a hold of me," Corenswet shared. But Corenswet also wanted to be the next Superman, too. That, however, is where the similarities between Corenswet and Cavill end. "My pie-in-the-sky ambition is definitely to play Superman," Corenswet added. "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."
Given Gunn's tweet that hints he's got an 'All-Star Superman' story in mind, it's reasonable to think Corenswet will get to play the type of superhero role he is looking for in "Superman: Legacy." Besides, Gunn is known for lighter tones, which he's brought to his previous comic book movies like the "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy and DC's "The Suicide Squad."
Corenswet succeeds Cavill after an exhausting search by Gunn and Safran
Fans recently learned that DC Studios found Clark Kent and Lois Lane in David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan for "Superman: Legacy" — after an exhaustive search that boiled down to six actors. In the end, Corenswet beat Nicholas Hoult and Tom Britney for the role of Clark-Superman. Brosnahan snagged the iconic role of Lois over Phoebe Dynevor and Emma Mackey.
Fans rooting for the return of Cavill as DC's Superman were given false hope when the actor appeared in an uncredited cameo in the "Black Adam" movie in October 2022. Two days after the film opened, Cavill posted on Instagram that he was returning to the DCEU as Superman. Of course, that changed when he met with Gunn and Safran two months later.
News broke in December 2022 that Cavill would not return as Superman in the DCU. Addressing fans in a gracious Instagram post, Cavill detailed how he met with Gunn and Peter Safran. He soon learned that the co-CEOs were moving on from his iteration of Superman. Cavill, of course, made his debut as Clark-Superman in director Zack Snyder's 2013 blockbuster, "Man of Steel." He reprised the role in "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" in 2016. Additionally, he reprised the role for Joss Whedon's and Snyder's "Justice League" in 2017 and 2021, respectively.
"Superman: Legacy" — the first film in Gunn's and Safran's rebranded DCU — is slated to open in theaters July 11, 2025.