The Next Superman Is Down To Three Actors And One Is An Obvious Choice
According to a new report, the choice for the new Superman is down to Nicholas Hoult, David Corenswet, and Tom Brittney.
James Gunn is kicking off his new DCU with the Superman: Legacy movie, so casting the Man of Steel is undoubtedly going to be one of the most important decisions for Gunn yet. According to Deadline, the casting process is entering its second round of testing, and the choice is down to three actors — Nicholas Hoult, David Corenswet, and Tom Brittney. While each actor would probably do justice to the role, Hoult does seem like the obvious choice out of these contenders.
Nicholas Hoult has been on a huge hot streak over the past decade, starring in critically acclaimed blockbusters like Mad Max: Fury Road and prestige dramas like The Menu in equal measure. As far as name recognition goes, Hoult could help bring in the audience needed to help make sure the DCU gets off on the right foot. Hoult has proven that he easily has the acting chops to take on the Superman role and make it his own.
Then again, James Gunn might want to go for David Corenswet or Tom Brittney specifically to avoid the high level of name recognition. While Corenswet and Brittney have had quieter careers up to this point, this could be the perfect way to bring a fresh face to Superman and start from scratch. James Gunn pretty much always nails the casting in his movies and shows, so whoever he picks will honestly probably be the best person for the role.
There is added pressure to picking a good Superman since Gunn and Safran axed Henry Cavill from the role, much to the chagrin of fans. While there were plenty of people who had issues with the Snyderverse, almost everyone enjoyed the likable Cavill in the role. Other than toward the end of Justice League, Cavill never really got a chance to embody Superman’s hopeful boy scout energy, and fans were looking forward to him getting a chance to be a brighter, more cheerful version of the character.
With James Gunn wanting to do a younger version of Superman for his movie and start things fresh, it certainly made sense that he needed a new actor for the role. It also helps to remove the baggage of the DCEU. But that doesn’t mean fans won’t be hyper-critical of his casting decision for the DCU’s biggest superhero.
On another note, Deadline also reported that Emma Mackey, Rachel Brosnahan, and Phoebe Dynevor are testing for the role of Lois Lane. Again, these would all be great choices, and honestly, it’s harder to pick a clear favorite out of these contenders. It’ll be interesting to see who they eventually cast as Superman and Lois because then they’ll probably move on to casting the villain.
Along with Superman, fans are also wondering who might end up playing his greatest nemesis, Lex Luthor, in the upcoming film. This is arguably just as important as a casting decision as the Man of Steel and will likely be just as hard of a decision for Gunn. With that being said, if Gunn decides to skip over Hoult for the titular role, maybe he could shift him to a more villainous role instead.
