Summary

• Superman: Legacy, the first feature film in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe, boasts an impressive cast of talented actors.
• David Corenswet has been cast as Clark Kent, bringing a fresh and vibrant version of Superman to the DCU.
• Rachel Brosnahan will portray Lois Lane, bringing her excellent combination of drama and comedy skills to the role, adding depth and chemistry to the Superman story.

As the first feature film in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe, Superman: Legacy boasts an impressive cast. After Gunn and Safran were hired as co-CEOs of DC Studios in November 2022, the pair stressed how important Superman would be to the future of the DCU. While it was initially thought that Henry Cavill would reprise the role he played since 2013’s Man of Steel, the actor confirmed he wouldn’t be returning, paving the way for a new actor to take on the iconic role. Gunn announced Superman: Legacy alongside the rest of the DCU’s Chapter 1 in January 2023, and work started on finding the perfect cast.

Expected to release on July 11, 2025, Superman: Legacy is set to tell the story of “Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing.” While teasing a more down-to-Earth storyline for the DCU’s Superman: Legacy reboot, the film’s official synopsis also suggests Gunn will deliver a more light-hearted Man of Steel: “He is the embodiment of truth, justice, and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.” Superman: Legacy is sure to deliver a fresh and exciting take on DC Comics’ Superman, particularly since the DCU film’s cast is bursting with some brilliant, yet perhaps lesser-known, talents.

Related: Every Upcoming DC Movie In 2023 And Beyond

10 David Corenswet As Clark Kent, A.K.A. Superman

Announced June 2023

After Superman: Legacy’s announcement, casting rumors for the titular role ran rampant, but official news came in June 2023, when David Corenswet was cast as the DCU’s Superman. Corenswet will portray a younger and more vibrant version of Superman, hopefully getting the new DCU off to a strong start. Although not a household name, Corenswet has been featured in several high-profile projects, including Hollywood and The Politician, both created by Ryan Murphy, as well as appearing in House of Cards, Pearl, and Affairs of State. Corenswet’s leading man charisma means Superman: Legacy will surely be in safe hands with this new iteration of the Man of Steel.

Corenswet won’t debut as Clark Kent until Superman: Legacy releases in July 2025, but he is expected to be a cornerstone of the DCU. Warner Bros. wasted Henry Cavill as the DCEU’s Superman, delivering a darkness that didn’t suit the character, so Gunn’s fresh take will surely see Corenswet appear in various projects after Superman: Legacy. Gunn has stated that Superman: Legacy will take inspiration from DC Comics’ All Star Superman storyline, which saw the titular hero carry out many heroic feats before his imminent death. This will give Corenswet a huge amount of action and drama to play with, hopefully delivering a powerful and likable Superman from the start.

9 Rachel Brosnahan As Lois Lane

Announced June 2023

Announced alongside Corenswet’s casting, Rachel Brosnahan was cast as Lois Lane in Superman: Legacy, assuming the role from Amy Adams who portrayed Superman’s love interest in previous DCEU projects. Brosnahan is best known for portraying the titular role of aspiring stand-up comedian Midge Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She has also appeared in the likes of Orange is the New Black, Patriots Day, House of Cards, and neo-noir crime thriller I’m Your Woman. Mastering a combination of drama and comedy, particularly in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Brosnahan is a brilliant fit for the often-overlooked Lois Lane, as she’ll be able to hold her own opposite Corenswet’s Superman.

The fact that Superman: Legacy won’t be an origin story for the titular hero has led many to speculate that Clark Kent and Lois Lane may already know each other. It has been suspected that Superman: Legacy could introduce Clark Kent already as a reporter for the Daily Planet, the publication where Lois also works, so it’s possible they could already be pursuing a romantic relationship. This will be paramount to Superman’s story in the DCU, as his connection to Lois Lane in DC Comics is at the core of the character, so Corenswet and Brosnahan need to have a level of chemistry that was seldom seen between Cavill and Adams.

8 Skyler Gisondo As Jimmy Olsen

Announced November 2023

Jimmy Olsen’s Superman: Legacy casting came some time after Clark and Lois’ respective roles, with The Hollywood Reporter stating that Skyler Gisondo would be playing the character – with James Gunn later confirming both he and Sara Sampaio were indeed cast for the DCU film. Gisondo is a promising choice for Jimmy Olsen, in part because he already has played roles that looked close to that of Superman’s long-time ally, and because his performances in series like Santa Clarita Diet and Righteous Gemstones illustrate a history that show the actor is capable of handling both comedy and more serious moments.

7 Nicholas Hoult As Lex Luthor

Announced November 2023

Deadline reported on November 20, 2023 that – after initially being in consideration for Superman before Corenswet’s casting – Nicholas Hoult would be taking on the role of the hero’s nemesis, Lex Luthor. Hoult’s acting history certainly foreshadows a promising supervillain career for him, as his roles as the respective antagonists of The Great and The Menu showcased his capacity to play an entirely morally void figure who still remains nonetheless charismatic, even when audiences are rooting for the character to face a grizzly end. Nicholas Hoult is also no stranger to the superhero genre, having previously been one of the actors who played Beast in Fox’s X-Men series.

6 Sara Sampaio As Eve Teschmacher

Announced November 2023

Sara Sampaio was also confirmed by James Gunn to be officially cast as Eve Teschmacher in the DCU – which is interesting both in that Eve is a unique character who has been in various different on-screen Superman adaptations, and in that she sheds a little more light on what Lex Luthor’s role in Superman: Legacy could look like. Teschmacher’s role as Luthor’s assistant – and sometimes girlfriend – suggests the movie will indeed include the antagonist in some version of his conventional billionaire business tycoon depiction. However, hopefully the movie will take care to allow Eve her own distinct characterization outside of her link to Luthor, especially as Sampaio has already posted on Instagram expressing how excited she is about the upcoming role.

5 María Gabriela De Faría As Angela Spica, A.K.A The Engineer

Announced November 2023

María Gabriela De Faría’s casting as The Engineer is one of the more exciting and unexpected DCU announcements, as De Faría’s character is notably a member of The Authority; a superhero group rumored to be in Superman: Legacy in order to set up for their own impending film installment. While it’s still not clear whether the rest of the team will indeed be appearing in the first DCU movie, either way, having The Engineer appear will surely sow the seeds for bigger things to come, and begin bringing one of DC’s lesser known and more underrated factions to the forefront of the live-action world.

María Gabriela De Faría is also not a stranger to the world of comic adaptations, having played Maria Salazar in the 2019 adaptation of the Deadly Class series. That said, she may be best known for her performance in the horror movie The Exorcism of God, or the comedy series The Moodys – with all three installments demonstrating a capacity in terms of range that should benefit the DC Universe going forward.

4 Nathan Fillion As Guy Gardner, A.K.A. Green Lantern

Announced July 2023

Vanity Fair revealed on July 11, 2023, that Nathan Fillion had been cast in Superman: Legacy as Guy Gardner, a.k.a. Green Lantern. Gunn previously announced Lanterns as a DCU TV series which would focus on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two further members of the Green Lantern Corps, so Fillion’s casting in Superman: Legacy is curious, but exciting. Fillion has worked on every one of Gunn’s projects, starting with 2006’s Slither, and culminating in 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Fillion’s experience in dramas such as Saving Private Ryan and Night Hunter have been intertwined with a plethora of comedic roles, making him perfectly suited to the light-hearted Superman: Legacy.

3 Isabela Merced As Hawkgirl

Announced July 2023

As well as announcing Fillion’s casting on July 11, Vanity Fair also confirmed that Isabela Merced will appear as Hawkgirl in Superman: Legacy. After making her Broadway debut at the age of ten in Evita, Merced starred in Nickelodeon’s 100 Things to do Before High School. She later had film roles in Transformers: The Last Knight, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and Dora and the Lost City of Gold. There have been several iterations of Hawkgirl in DC Comics, so it’s unclear which version Merced will portray. Hawkgirl also has a connection to Hawkman, who was portrayed by Aldis Hodge in Black Adam, though it’s unknown if he’ll return.

2 Edi Gathegi As Michael Holt, A.K.A. Mister Terrific

Announced July 2023

Edi Gathegi was also confirmed to be joining Superman: Legacy on July 11, 2023, portraying Michael Holt, a.k.a. Mister Terrific. Gunn teased Mister Terrific’s DCU debut in a November 2022 Twitter post, so the character’s debut isn’t all too surprising. Gathegi is known for appearing in House, The Blacklist, and the Twilight series as Laurent. Gathegi also appeared in X-Men: First Class as Darwin, but Superman: Legacy marks his first DC role. Although Mister Terrific doesn’t have any innate powers, his years of diligent training have gifted him Olympic-level physical traits, and has access to advanced technology that makes him an interesting addition to Superman: Legacy’s cast.

Announced July 2023

On July 12, 2023, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the casting of Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho in Superman: Legacy. Carrigan has often been typecast as a villain, but Superman: Legacy will break this in major fashion by featuring him as a superhero. Carrigan has had roles in The Forgotten, The Blacklist, and Barry. He has also played in the DC sandbox, portraying Kyle Nimbus, a.k.a. Mist, in The CW’s The Flash, and Victor Zsasz in Gotham. In DC Comics, Metamorpho was a founding member of the Outsiders, and has been involved with the Justice League, so Carrigan could have a bright future in the DCU after Superman: Legacy.

Key Release Dates