Superman’s James Gunn Jokes About The ‘Weird’ Reason David Corenswet Is The Right Actor To Play The Man Of Steel

Few upcoming 2025 movies are even close to reaching the same massive scale as James Gunn’s foundational DCU effort Superman, which means that few other movies are facing the same amount of immense studio pressure to succeed. Some fans thought that Gunn was taking bit of a risk by casting up-and-coming actor David Corenswet in the titular role instead of a more established box office draw, but the filmmaker stuck by his pick, and shared one oddball reason it’s organic casting.

After getting his big break on Ryan Murphy’s The Politician and Hollywood, Corenswet played up his multi-genre strengths by signing on for Ti West’s throwback horror Pearl and the summer blockbuster Twisters. But it’s not so much the actor’s on-screen persona that sold James Gunn on the Philly native as the Man of Steel, but rather his mundanity. As the filmmaker put it to the Associated Press:

Shots fired! But it doesn't look like they'll ever actually reach their target, since Superman is faster than bullets both speeding and stationary. Plus, James Gunn has said so many wonderful things about the actor that a jokey jibe like this doesn't hold much weight anyway.

Really, though, I can't imagine David Corenswet himself took offense at such a summary judgment when Gunn no doubt shared that very assessment with the actor during the casting process. And it's hard to argue against that viewpoint, considering Clark Kent is a poster boy for both klutzy dorkiness and by-the-book morality. Even when going all-powerful as Superman, there's an inherent "not the coolest guy in the room" vibe that stems from his alien nature.

Which isn't to say Corenswet is an alien or anything, but that he's far from the self-assured, alpha-male personality that comes naturally to a lot of dudes who are 6'4" and jacked. But similar to previous Superman portrayer Henry Cavill, whose nerdiness for painting Warhammer models has been well documented, Corenswet's more tight-knit personality helped him in the end.

David Corenswet Compares Filming Superman To Summer Camp

For all that filming a movie can be a very difficult endeavor for everyone involved, that kind of pressure cooker situation can also produce kinships that more fleeting projects wouldn't, which is obviously key for franchises that encompass multiple films. And to that end, Corenswet shared that he's made myriad new friends while filming the DC Studios movie, making it akin to attending camp as a youngster. In his words:

I think it's safe to classify "comparing playing America's greatest superhero to attending summer camp" as something a square person might do. Though I guess the specific context of making lots of new friends overrides the more nerdy connotations.

While we're at it, I'd like to also suggest this example as further proof of David Corenswet's winningly square personality. Speaking to how his life might change once Superman releases and he's atop the pop culture food chain, the actor answered humbly, saying:

If Corenswet eats the kind of perfectly balanced breakfast advertised on cereal commercials — with a dedicated tray holding a glass of orange juice, half a grapefruit, and a cereal bowl — I don't think anyone would be too shocked. But if he's chowing down on old boxes of discontinued Superman-themed cereals, yogurts, and others, that's a wholly different level of weird.

Check out Clark Kent's innately square nature when Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025.