Inside Superman actor David Corenswet's rollercoaster life from role in Netflix hit to how he beat Brit star to the role

The Sun

7 hours ago

IN an industry known for playing it safe, Hollywood has taken a real gamble by casting the relatively unknown David Corenswet as Superman.
The 6ft 4in hunk certainly has the looks to become the Man of Steel — his wave of black hair and chiselled jawline making him look like he has been drawn by a DC comic illustrator.
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But can he lead this blockbuster, out tomorrow, and break the curse of those who flew before him?
It has been a bumpy ride for actors who have sported the superhero's giant S with pride on the big and small screens.
And having got the part over 400 other wannabe Clark Kents, Corenswet understands the weight of the role, saying: 'There is an amazing, solemn responsibility to be the person to play this character.
'I know a lot of fantastic actors, better than I am, who may never be seen by more than an audience of 50 or 100 people at a regional theatre.'
The Pennsylvania-born 32-year-old had a pretty standard entry into the world of acting, attending the famous Juilliard School of performing arts in New York.
'Seal of approval'
Soon after graduating, he had a range of parts in TV shows, including House Of Cards, The Politician and mini-series Hollywood.
All while living just outside Philadelphia, near the same small town in Pennsylvania where he grew up.
Two years ago, he married fellow actor Julia Best Warner, who he first met at a youth summer theatre programme. The couple had their first child, a daughter, in 2024 — the year after he was cast as Superman.
One fellow auditionee was his movie co-star Nicholas Hoult.
The British actor got the role of baddie Lex Luthor instead, and graciously describes Corenswet as 'otherworldly', adding: 'He's got this Old Hollywood persona which makes him feel even more relevant and timely to this version of Superman and Clark.'
Superman seen flying over iconic London landmark in Britain's highest public sculpture 300m above ground
James Gunn, who wrote and directed this splendid new Superma n — which I found had more style, heart and humour than any before it — said: 'From the very beginning, he was the guy to beat, frankly.'
Corenswet apparently sent Gunn a 'beautiful' handwritten letter following his audition.
And Gunn was confident the actor had all the attributes he was looking for, revealing: 'I couldn't go for someone that had the look, but didn't have the chops.
'I couldn't go for someone that had the chops, but didn't have the look. I couldn't go for someone that had the looks and the chops, but couldn't do the comedic parts, or couldn't do the more vulnerable aspects.'
Even the family of the late Christopher Reeve — who played Superman in the Seventies and Eighties — give Corenswet their blessing, with youngest son Will Reeve making a cameo appearance in the film.
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Hope and goodness
At the premiere, Will said: 'Getting to see David in his suit was a trip, he looked great. I told him he had the seal of approval.
'And then afterwards, he walked off to take care of his, at that time, infant daughter, and seeing him in his full get-up, cape and all, pushing a stroller so that she would rock off to sleep, felt like an all-American image.
"It was a lot of fun to see that.'
But having won the role, Corenswet's initial feeling was one of trepidation.
He said in a rare interview with GQ magazine: 'A role like Superman seems like something that everybody would want, and that's not true.
There are some people who wouldn't want that role and who would, if given the opportunity, say no. I am obviously not one of those people
David Corenswet
'There are some people who wouldn't want that role and who would, if given the opportunity, say no. I am obviously not one of those people. But I certainly tried to think of reasons not to.'
And he was right to be cautious, as those who have taken on the character before him have endured many problems over the decades.
In 2022, British actor Henry Cavill revealed his shock over being let go from the role in the DC Universe films.
He made sure his fans — along with everyone else — knew he was blindsided, saying in a public statement: 'I just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran, and it's sad news, everyone.
'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.'
And Henry was not the only actor who found the role to be kryptonite.
There is a talk of a 'curse' that has struck the supposed indestructible hero time and time again.
Legend has it that co-creator Jerry Siegel put a hex on the character because his bosses at DC Comics did not give him a cut of the millions in profits Superman earned them.
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He is said to have written in capital letters: 'I put a curse on you.'
Kirk Alyn was the first actor to have the S emblazoned on his chest, appearing in a 1948 movie titled simply Superman.
He once said: 'Playing Superman ruined my acting career and I've been bitter for many years about the whole thing.'
The American died in 1999 at the age of 88 after developing Alzheimer's disease.
Playing Superman ruined my acting career and I've been bitter for many years about the whole thing
Kirk Alyn
Next up as Clark Kent was the chisel-chinned George Reeves in the 1951 film Superman And The Mole Men, and more than 100 episodes of the TV show Adventures Of Superman.
In 1959, having hung up his cape, George was found dead aged 45 with a single gunshot wound to his head.
The official cause of death was suicide, but with no gunpowder residue found on his hands and witnesses reporting multiple shots, this verdict has long been in doubt.
Theories about the true killer include him being bumped off by a Mafia hitman hired by the jealous husband of one of his lovers.
But it was Christopher Reeve who truly brought bumbling reporter Clark Kent and his superhero alter-ego to life in the hit 1978 movie, Superman.
The previously unknown actor became a global star, appearing in four of the DC films.
In 1995, eight years after leaving the role, he was paralysed from the neck down when he was thrown from his horse. He died in 2004, aged 52, from an infection linked to his long-term condition.
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Those who tried to follow Reeve have struggled with the weight of the cape. Brandon Routh only managed one movie, Superman Returns in 2006, before falling into relative obscurity.
The role was then given to Henry Cavill.
Among the most tragic of fates was that of Reeve's co-star in all four Superman movies.
Margot Kidder, who was the romantic interest Lois Lane, suffered a spinal injury in a car accident while filming a Nancy Drew TV series in October 1990.
I know a lot of fantastic actors, better than I am, who may never be seen by more than an audience of 50 or 100 people at a regional theatre
David Corenswet
Unable to work for two years, she ended up homeless, was diagnosed with manic depression and, in 1996, suffered from delusions one of her ex-husbands was trying to kill her.
The Canadian actress was found dead at her home in Montana in May 2018, aged 69, following what the coroner ruled was 'a self- inflicted drug and alcohol overdose'.
Meanwhile, Lee Quigley — who played baby Superman, sent to Earth in a spaceship by his parents in the 1978 film — died in 1991, aged 14, of a heart attack linked to solvent abuse.
It followed years of bullying at school and developing a habit of glue-sniffing. Despite all this, Corenswet still sees the role as one of hope and goodness.
Explaining what sets Superman apart from other movie heroes, he says: 'The fact that he is essentially free from angst and turmoil internally.
'He's a good guy who had a great upbringing, loving parents, has wonderful relationships with his friends and a romantic relationship and loves what he does.'
However rose-tinted Corenswet's view of the role may be, the seemingly shy actor — who describes himself as an 'introvert' — might not yet have grasped its magnitude.
Admitting he is not sure how he will cope with being spotted in public, he says: 'Most great things come with trade-offs. Who knows? Maybe nobody will recognise me.'
I have a feeling they just might, David.
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