As the first feature film in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe, Superman 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 alongside the rest of the DCU’s Chapter 1 in January 2023, and work started on finding the perfect cast.
Set to release on July 11, 2025, Superman 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 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 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.
20 David Corenswet As Clark Kent, A.K.A. Superman
Announced June 2023
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After Superman’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 will surely be in safe hands with this new iteration of the Man of Steel.
Corenswet won’t debut as Clark Kent until Superman 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:.
Gunn has stated that Superman 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.
19 Rachel Brosnahan As Lois Lane
Announced June 2023
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Announced alongside Corenswet’s casting, Rachel Brosnahan was cast as Lois Lane in Superman, 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.
Brosnahan 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 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 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. As such, Corenswet and Brosnahan need to have a level of chemistry that was seldom seen between Cavill and Adams.
18 Skyler Gisondo As Jimmy Olsen
Announced November 2023
Jimmy Olsen’s Superman 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.
17 Nicholas Hoult As Lex Luthor
Announced November 2023
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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. 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.
16 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 in November 2023. This 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 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.
15 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 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.
14 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 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 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.
13 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. After making her Broadway debut at the age of ten in Evita, Merced starred in Nickelodeon’s 100 Things to do Before High School.
Merced 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.
12 Edi Gathegi As Michael Holt, A.K.A. Mister Terrific
Announced July 2023
Edi Gathegi was also confirmed to be joining Superman on July 11, 2023, portraying Michael Holt, a.k.a. Mister Terrific. Gunn teased Mister Terrific’s DCU debut in a November 2022Twitter 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 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’s cast.
11 Anthony Carrigan As Rex Mason, A.K.A. Metamorpho
Announced July 2023
On July 12, 2023, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the casting of Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho in Superman. Carrigan has often been typecast as a villain, but Superman 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.
10 Sean Gunn As Maxwell Lord
Announced December 2023
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Sean Gunn is featured in virtually every film James Gunn makes, including playing Weasel and Calendar Man in The Suicide Squad. He is reprising his role as Weasel for the DCU’s first project, Creature Commandos, while also voicing G.I. Robot in the same series. With James Gunn saying voice actors for the DCU’s animated projects could be carried over into live action, it is reasonable to assume Sean Gunn would have appeared either as Weasel or G.I. Robot when the jump was made. Now, he finds himself in another role in the new universe.
Sean Gunn will play Maxwell Lord in Superman. It’s unclear how much of a role Maxwell Lord will play in the film, but the costumes for Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific seems to indicate they will be working with Maxwell Lord in some capacity during the events of the movie.
9 Terence Rosemore As Otis
Announced February 2024
In February 2024, James Gunn revealed a Superman cast photo, taken after the group had finished a table read. This included Terence Rosemore, who Gunn revealed would be playing a character named Otis. Movie and comic buffs will recognize the character as one of Lex Luthor’s recurring henchmen, having first appeared in Christopher Reeves’ Superman movie before being brought to the comics, and then brought to the small-screen via Smallville.
Terence Rosemore has had high-profile appearances as Captain Terrence in Outer Banks, Phineas in Haunted Mansion, and The Shoe Man in Atlanta, but superhero audiences may best recognize him for his roles in James Gunn’s movies. In the MCU, Rosemore played Narblik in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, Gurb in the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, and Xlomo Smeth in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3. The actor also appeared in The Suicide Squad as an unnamed character referred to as Crew Chief, meaning his appearance in Superman won’t be his first feature in DC’s on-screen adaptations.
8 Wendell Pierce As Perry White
Announced March 2024
Custom image by Andy Behbakht
Superman‘s Daily Planet crew has been further established after The Hollywood Reporter‘s announcement that Wendell Pierce is playing the role of Perry White, the editor-in-chief at the newspaper and Clark Kent’s boss. Pierce is perhaps best known for playing Detective Bunk Moreland in The Wire, though it’s worth noting he has played a considerable range of other detectives during his acting career, which appears to stand him in good stead for the kind of gruff but fair characterization that Perry White conventionally has.
Wendell Pierce also has experience in action roles in the likes of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, as well as more comedy-leaning series like Archer, across the course of his roughly 38-year-long career. Not only does this demonstrate an acting range that will benefit Superman itself, but it also means that Perry White’s potential in the DCU’s future can be taken in almost whatever direction the overarching story requires.
7 Pruitt Taylor Vince As Jonathan Kent
Announced April 2024
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Clark Kent’s parents were the next Superman movie characters to be confirmed after Perry White, with Pruitt Taylor Vince’s casting as Jonathan Kent revealed first on April 16, 2024, as reported by The Wrap. Superman’s adoptive father isn’t Vince’s first foray into the superhero world, as the actor has previously appeared as Grill, the manager of a SHIELD lighthouse in Agents of SHIELD season 5, and troubled medium and priest Father Hennesy in 2005’s Constantine.
However, viewers may instead recognize Pruitt Taylor Vince from performances in a range of releases, from his Emmy-winning performance in ABC’s Murder One series, to notable appearances in iconic shows and movies like The Walking Dead, The X-Files, Jacob’s Ladder, and Bird Box. Given the integral role Clark’s parents play in his superhero story and life in DC comics and adaptations, the actor is no doubt set to use the breath of his experience nailing the nuance of being the father of a superpowered alien child.
6 Neva Howell As Martha Kent
Announced April 2024
2 days after Pruitt Taylor Vince’s casting as Jonathan Kent was revealed to the public, Neva Howell’s role as Martha Kent was also announced in another report from The Wrap. Howell has a history of acting in maternal roles that stand her in good stead for taking on Martha’s southern hospitality, especially following her role as “Farmer Lady” in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, which has already seen comparisons to Martha Kent following the announcement.
The role of DCU’s Martha Kent may see more scrutiny as the franchise begins, given the DCEU’s “Martha moment” in Batman V Superman was much joked about long after the movie’s release, and showed just how carefully handled the matter of superhero families needs to be to avoid critical reception. As such, Neva Howell’s acting experience is also a big advantage for Superman, as it can ensure there’s an authentic edge to one of the people who inspired Kent’s heroism the most.
5 Frank Grillo As Rick Flag Sr
Announced June 2024
After being spotted on set for Superman, it was confirmed that Frank Grillo would be playing Rick Flag Sr in the film. Frank Grillo was first cast as Rick Flag Sr for Creature Commandos, but will make the jump to a handful of live action projects, continuing his role in Superman and Peacemaker season 2.
Aside from Sean Gunn playing Weasel in the DCEU, Frank Grillo will be the first actor to play the same character in both an animated project and a live-action one since the DCU began to take shape. With Rick Flag Sr appearing in three separate projects already, it will be interesting to see how his character evolves. It’s unclear how substantial Grillo’s role will be in Superman, though, given the sheer number of important characters already in it.
4 Beck Bennett As Steve Lombard
Announced June 2024
June 2024 brought some more casting news, matching with the range of Superman set photos that also emerged during the same time period. Early in the month, Beck Bennett was confirmed to be playing Steve Lombard in the cast, with James Gunn confirming this and celebrating his addition to the cast on social media. As a Daily Planet reporter, Steve Lombard is a logical addition to the cast, and is sure to provide a dose of extra personality, given his characterizations usually veer on the more intense side of things.
Bennet’s SNL tenure stands him in good stead to play the often dramatic and bombastic Lombard, as the comedic stylings the comedian and actor honed over this time are sure to benefit him when it comes to playing the character. However, this isn’t the only part of his acting history that may benefit the DCU, as Bennett has appeared in a range of roles, which tend to have a comedy focus that also seems set to aid in keeping the tone of Superman balanced.
Notably, this does include a voice role as Austin Van Der Sleet in MODOK, meaning the DCU debut will not be Bennett’s first appearance in the superhero genre. That said, it will be his first live-action appearance within this category, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the film.
3 Mikaela Hoover As Cat Grant
Announced June 2024
The Hollywood Reporter revealed in June 2024 that Mikaela Hoover and Christopher MacDonald would be joining the DCU Superman movie cast, lending their talents to the growing roster of actors involved in the franchise’s debut film. James Gunn then corroborated this news with a social media post that confirmed the pair were a part of the DC Universe, proving these reports to have been accurate.
Hoover is set to play Cat Grant, another of the Daily Planet’s reporters, further fleshing out this side of the Superman movie cast and reinforcing the idea that the news team will play an integral role within the story. Mikaela Hoover is no stranger to superhero movies, especially those helmed by James Gunn – having appeared in the first and final Guardians Of The Galaxy movies and The Suicide Squad – so she’s sure to be a welcome addition to the first foray into the DCU.
2 Christopher MacDonald As Ron Troupe
Announced June 2024
Christopher MacDonald’s role in Superman will see him taking on the role of Ron Troupe. This would align with both what audiences know about the Superman movie and its current casting roster so far, as the Daily Planet reporter would be a natural fit alongside the various other members of the newspaper company that have been confirmed for the upcoming DC release.
While Christopher MacDonald has collaborated with Gunn less than Mikaela Hoover, his casting is still a decidedly exciting affair, especially since Troupe has a considerable history that has seen him appear in the likes of Smallville as well as Superman and Lois. With My Adventures With Superman also having its own iteration of Ron Troupe in recent history, it will certainly be interesting to see how the DCU Superman movie approaches the character, and to what degree MacDonald’s performance matches or contrasts with past versions.
1 Alan Tudyk In Unknown Role
Announced September 2024
Before Alan Tudyk was announced for Superman, he was already part of the DCU, playing Doctor Phosphorus in Creature Commandos. There is currently no official word on who Alan Tudyk will be playing in Superman, though James Gunn has previously talked about actors playing the same character across multiple projects. If it isn’t Doctor Phosphorus, it will be interesting to see what Gunn has in store for him.
Alan Tudyk is a fantastic actor, appearing in a variety of films and television for nearly three decades. Bringing him into the DCU as Doctor Phosphorus was a great choice, but his mystery role in Superman could be even better. Aside from Creature Commandos and Superman, Alan Tudyk is no stranger to playing DC characters, lending his talents to Harley Quinn, Young Justice, and Doom Patrol.
Superman (2025)
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in Warner Bros.’ rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill’s departure from the role, honoring the character’s roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way.”
Director James Gunn Release Date July 11, 2025 Writers James Gunn Cast David Corenswet , Rachel Brosnahan , María Gabriela De Faría , Edi Gathegi , Nicholas Hoult , Frank Grillo , Nathan Fillion , Milly Alcock , Sara Sampaio , Pruitt Taylor Vince , Skyler Gisondo , Anthony Carrigan , Wendell Pierce , Beck Bennett , Sean Gunn Expand