Look Both Ways actor David Corenswet will replace booted Henry Cavill in the new Superman film, Superman: Legacy.
The actor, 29, who has never taken on a leading role in a major studio production before, will portray Clark Kent in the rebooted film series alongside Rachel Brosnahan, 32, as Lois Lane, reports Deadline.
Corenswet has previously starred in Hollywood, The Politician, and A24 film, Pearl.
Superman: Legacy will be released on July 11, 2025 and is described as about Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing.
Corenswet and Brosnahan were along a select few testing for DC co-chairs Peter Safran and director James Gunn in full costume and make-up.
The tests took place over two days with three actors in ‘full Superman attire’.
New man of steel: Look Both Ways actor David Corenswet will replace booted Henry Cavill in the new Superman film, Superman: Legacy (pictured August 2022)
Icon: In January new DC Studios bosses Gunn and Safran defended their decision not to bring back Cavill as Superman as they reboot the DC Universe with a new over-arching storyline (pictured in 2013’s Man of Steel)
Sources told the publication said each actor ‘had closed test deals that would expire after two business weeks’ and wanted it sorted before a potential l SAG-AFTRA strike, which could start at midnight June 30.
In January new DC Studios bosses Gunn and Safran defended their decision not to bring back Cavill as Superman as they reboot the DC Universe with a new over-arching storyline.
‘We didn’t fire Henry. Henry was never cast,’ said Gunn during a presentation to reporters announcing plans for five new DCU films and five new TV series, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Cavill, who was widely expected to return as the man of steel after appearing in a credits teaser for Black Adam in October, last month announced the ‘sad news’ that Gunn and Safran did not plan to bring him back.
Gunn explained: ‘For me, it’s about who do I want to cast as Superman and who do the filmmakers we have want to cast. And for me, for this story, it isn’t Henry.’
‘I like Henry, I think he’s a great guy. I think he’s getting d****d around by a lot of people, including the former regime at this company. But this Superman is not Henry, for a number of reasons,’ he added.
Cavill’s shock announcement in December that he would ‘not be returning as Superman’ was one of many signs that Gunn and Safran planned major shakeups to the DC franchise.
Following the merger that created new parent company Warner Bros. Discovery in April, DC’s $90 million Batgirl movie was scrapped in the final stages of production, and plans for Wonder Woman 3 were cast aside last month.
New Lois: The actor will portray Clark Kent in the rebooted film series alongside Rachel Brosnahan , 32, as Lois Lane (pictured last month), reports Deadline .
James Gunn and Peter Safran are the creative minds behind the new film
New role: Corenswet has previously appeared in mini series Hollywood (pictured in 2020 with co-star Dylan McDermott)
Superman: Legacy will be released on July 11, 2025 and is described as about Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing
Gunn is the writer-director who made the Guardians of the Galaxy household names for Marvel and revived The Suicide Squad for DC, before signing on to revamp DC Studios last year.
Safran has produced many films for Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema, including Gunn’s The Suicide Squad as well as Aquaman, Shazam and the horror films in The Conjuring universe.
Gunn is writing the Superman movie, which is described as about Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing.
Cavill starred as the man of steel in three DC films prior to the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery last year.
Cavill played Superman in 2013’s Man of Steel, 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2017’s Justice League and 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
The first phase of the DCU will launch after several inherited projects that are set to debut in the next two years – including The Flash, with Ezra Miller, which Gunn said ‘resets the entire DC Universe’.
