DC Studios has cast a new Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane. David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan will play the coveted parts in James Gunn’s “Superman: Legacy.”
The latest on-screen iteration of the iconic comic book hero will largely be a workplace origin story, Gunn said when he and fellow DC steward Peter Safran laid out their narrative plans in January. Corenswet, who broke out in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series “Hollywood,” will play cub reporter Kent at the fictional newspaper The Daily Planet. Brosnahan will be his coworker and co-lead.
Gunn is directing the project from his own screenplay, based on the character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Safran (“Aquaman,” the upcoming “Aquaman 2,” and The Conjuring franchise) will produce. The project is set for release on July 11, 2025.
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing,” Safran said earlier this year when he and Gunn unveiled a lengthy block of planned DC films and series. “He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
Superman Legacy marks a massive career shift for Corenswet, not only being No. 1 on the call sheet of a studio film for the first time but doing so as one of pop culture’s most enduring heroes. The actor first broke out in Ryan Murphy series The Politician, which was followed by a starring turn in another Murphy-backed Netflix series, Hollywood. Other credits include HBO series We Own This City and A24 horror sequel Pearl. Up next there is the Apple series Lady in the Lake and Twister sequel, Twisters.
Brosnahan is an Emmy and Golden Globe winner for her acclaimed series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She rose to prominence with House of Cards, which earned her an Emmy nomination. Three actors have previously played Lois Lane on the big screen. Margot Kidder gave a defining performance full of intelligence and spunk 1978’s Superman and its three sequels, in which she starred opposite Christopher Reeve. Kate Bosworth played Lois in 2006’s Superman Returns, while Amy Adams brought the character to life in Man of Steel (2016) and also starred in Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017).