David Corenswet has a lot going on right now. After leading Superman and already getting fans talking about his return in the upcoming Man of Tomorrow, the actor’s next big move is not another cape-first new superhero flick. It’s Mr. Irrelevant, a real-life sports drama about John Tuggle, the final pick of the 1983 NFL Draft. And based on early test scores, this one may be way more relevant than its title suggests. The sports drama just scored perfectly with women, but as a dude, I’m excited.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mr. Irrelevant scored a rare perfect 100 among women over 35 in test screenings, a 95 among men over 35, and a 92 overall. The report says those numbers helped Paramount and Skydance secure a prime 2026 release schedule for the movie on Christmas Day, which is a pretty big vote of confidence for a mid-budget sports drama.
Not Just A Football Movie, If Scores Are To Be Believed
As a dude, I’m not going to pretend I’m the target demo behind that perfect score with women over 35. But that’s exactly why the stat jumps out. If a football drama is testing that strongly with women, I’m guessing Mr. Irrelevant is not just two hours of locker-room speeches and coaches yelling about wanting it more.
The best sports movies are rarely only about the sport. Remember the Titans, Miracle, The Rookie and Friday Night Lights worked because the games were tied to family, pressure, identity and the brutal little heartbreaks of trying to matter. The football gets people in the seats, but it's the human stuff that keeps them there.
That is what makes the Corenswet factor interesting. He is already carrying one of the biggest symbols in pop culture, and fans watching the upcoming DC movies are invested in where James Gunn takes him next. Recent Man of Tomorrow set photos even confirmed a detail about David Corenswet’s hero that had DC fans relieved. It appears he will be sticking with the same Superman costume from his first movie. So seeing him pivot from Kal-El to John Tuggle feels like a smart test of his leading-man range.
I’m Excited Because I Miss Mid-Budget Sports Dramas In Theaters
The other reason I’m into this is simple. I really miss smaller movies like this. The mid-budget, based-on-a-true-story sports drama used to be a real theatrical staple, and then it got buried under tentpoles, cinematic universes and streaming originals that seem designed to be half-watched while folding laundry.
Mr. Irrelevant sounds like the kind of movie studios have been weirdly hesitant to put in theaters lately. Reportedly, the movie had a mid-$30 million budget and was shot in Australia to keep costs down, which makes the Christmas Day release even more interesting. It’s not trying to be the biggest movie on Earth, but could be a crowd-pleaser with a strong hook. Translation: box office gold for the holiday season.
That feels refreshing, especially when Corenswet’s superhero future is already covered. We know Man of Tomorrow is coming, Lex Luthor’s Power Suit has fans hyped, and Supergirl will arrive in theaters before Superman’s next solo chapter. But Mr. Irrelevant poses a different kind of challenge for Corenswet. No cape. No Fortress of Solitude. No flying through the sky. Just a real underdog story about a guy picked last who still found a way to matter.
A test score does not guarantee a hit, of course. But a perfect score with women over 35, a 92 overall and a Christmas Day release? As a dude, I’m listening. And suddenly, Mr. Irrelevant sounds anything but.
