Director James Gunn has found his Superman.
David Corenswet will play the Man of Steel in the upcoming Superman: Legacy film, while Rachel Brosnahan—of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel fame—has been cast as Lois Lane.
Coronswet and Brosnahan were two of six actors competing for the lead roles. Coronswet beat out Nicholas Hoult and Tom Brittney to snag the part of Clark Kent, while Brosnahan bested Emma Mackey and Phoebe Dynevor for the role of Lois Lane.
Coronswet replaces Henry Cavill, who played Superman in the 2013 film Man of Steel, as well as 2016’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and 2017’s Justice League.
Cavill seemed blindsided by the news that he would not be donning the famous red cape again, posting on Instagram in December that he would not be back as Superman.
“I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran, and it’s sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman,” he wrote. “After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life.”
It will be Coronswet’s biggest project to date. The Philadelphia native appeared in Netflix projects The Politician and Hollywood, as well as in indie horror project Pearl. He also has a role in Apple TV’s upcoming Lady in the Lake starring Natalie Portman.
Brosnahan is a much bigger name, having won critical acclaim for her portrayal of stand-up comedian “Midge” Maisel for Amazon Prime—as well as an Emmy and two Golden Globes. But she first gained major attention with a supporting role in HBO’s House of Cards.
This newest Superman iteration will be the first project to be fully produced under DC’s co-CEO tenures of James Gunn, who is directing the film, and Peter Safran, who will produce. It’s expected to be an origin story, Gunn revealed in January.
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing,” Safran said earlier this year. “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 is set to be released on July 11, 2025.
