Henry Cavill’s Superman Replacement Confirmed
David Corenswet is the DCU's new Superman starting with James Gunn's Superman: Legacy.
After months of speculation, James Gunn has made it official (via Deadline), and David Corenswet (Hollywood, Pearl) is the next Superman. The headlining role will not only carry the upcoming Superman: Legacy, but serve as the face of the new DCU as it re-launches in 2025. At 29, Corenswet will be part of a snake-bitten franchise that has had more flops than successes, but he won’t be alone, as Rachel Broshanan will be joining him as the new Lois Lane.
David Corenswet has been at the top of the list for Superman for a while now, beating out other stars, including Nicholas Hoult, but Broshanan is a bit of a surprise. Rumors as late as this past weekend were pointing toward Emma Mackey (Sex Education) as Lois Lane, with fans starting to rally around the star on social media in anticipation of the casting.
Going with Broshanan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), who was also on the list of reported potential stars for months, will disappoint many people.
James Gunn’s first major public casting since taking over as the co-CEO of the DCU alongside Peter Safran will hopefully be as momentous as Robert Downey Jr.’s signing on for Iron Man was over at Marvel. David Corenswet, through no fault of his own, has some massive shoes to fill as Superman, not only now as the new face of the franchise but because of the success of Henry Cavill.
The British actor had only a few outings as the Last Son of Krypton, starting with Man of Steel and ending with a brief tease after the credits of Black Adam, but fans loved him.
David Corenswet putting on the classic Superman tights is going to take some getting used to; not only is he younger than Cavill, but his version of Clark Kent will be, according to Gunn, a “back to basics” approach. Superman: Legacy is, without a doubt, the most important superhero film of the next few years, since it has to be a success to save the franchise.
David Corenswet’s Superman is rumored to be starting out in the film, and going against tradition, won’t be the first superhero, instead, he’s going to be a shining beacon of hope in a cynical world being policed by The Authority. Allegedly, of course, but going back to the Big Blue Boyscout characterization for Clark will be a welcome change of pace from the dark and gritty nature of the Snyderverse.
No matter what direction David Corenswet and Rachel Broshanan go as the DCU’s first stars, being cast as the leads in Superman: Legacy will be a massive career boost, giving them a chance to succeed on one of the largest stages in the world. All eyes are now on them, a billion-dollar franchise rests on their shoulders, and given James Gunn‘s stellar track record of success following the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and Peacemaker, he’s going to put them in a position to succeed.
We hope, but after The Flash, there’s nowhere to go for the DCU but up, up, and away.
