SUPERMAN: LEGACY star David Corenswet said in 2019 he wanted a ‘bright and optimistic’ Superman

David Corenswet will play Clark Kent aka Superman in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacyand will act alongside Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. There have been a lot of mixed reactions from fans regarding this casting, but I agree and can’t wait to see how they bring these classic characters to life.

In 2019, Corenswet sat down for an interview with Entertainment Weekly, and all those years ago he talked about his ambition to play Superman one day and shared the type of Superman he would like to play. It’s like the actor manifested the role! Referring to how he would often be compared to Henry Cavill, he said:

“It came to my attention before the internet got a hold of me. I would love to see someone do an optimistic throwback [take on Superman]. I love the [Zack Snyder] dark and gritty version, but I’d like to see the next one be very bright and upbeat.”

This is exactly what Gunn plans to do with Superman: Legacy, and it’s something Cavill also wanted to do if he could play the character again. It’s kind of interesting, though, that Corenswet was talking about it in 2019, and now here he is to play Superman.

Talking earlier about the type of actor Gunn wanted to cast, the director said, “But it has to be someone who has all the humanity that Superman has, but he’s also an alien. It has to be someone who has the kindness and compassion that Superman has. And it has to be someone you want to give a hug to.” Corenswet is obviously the guy Gunn felt would be the best fit for this version of Superman.

Superman: Legacy will tell the story of “Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, driven by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.

Superman: Legacy will be released in theaters on July 11, 2025