'Superman: Legacy' Casting Update: We Appear To Have Three Finalists For Clark Kent And Lois Lane
We are sooooo close to finding out who will be filling out these iconic DC roles for James Gunn's Superman: Legacy. If these are indeed the finalists for Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane — no reason to doubt that — I have pretty strong takes on which direction Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Studios should go.
I will not pretend like I know who Tom Brittney is. Not super familiar with his work. I won't be upset if they go in that direction for Superman. Casting a relative unknown in the role of Clark Kent has worked multiple times in the past. See: Christopher Reeve and Tom Welling. Then you have Nicholas Hoult, who's easily the biggest "name" of the reported Supes trio. Hoult is an awesome actor. Hella versatile. Barely lost out to Robert Pattinson to play Matt Reeves' Batman.
...Gotta say. David Corenswet just looks the part, man. I don't know how else to say it. I've only really seen him in the movie Pearl and that had sort of a rural, small-town setting to it that befits, well, Smallville. Ever since I saw this fan-made sizzle reel of comic book pages spliced in with Corenswet in various projects, I can't get it out of my head:
I'm glad that since the last time I wrote about this, it's confirmed Corenswet is at least among the finalists who'll screen test for the part. To me he's the easy, no-brainer frontrunner. He's 6-foot-4, so he'll cut an imposing figure with that red cape and "S" across his chest. Got that chiseled jawline and all the goods you want for the look of Superman. There was this innate wholesomeness Corenswet showed off in Pearl, too, that's so good for Clark Kent. Throw some glasses on this dude, let him cook physical comedy-wise, and he'll fucking kill it. In my opinion.
When it comes to Lois Lane, I'm a little more torn. Once I went back and revisited Emma Mackey's filmography, I was like, "OHHHH!!!" because of the movie Death on the Nile. I barely remember it. Part of me was distracted by the whole Armie Hammer of it all I guess. But from what I do recall, Mackey was the standout performer among a massive ensemble of more established actors.
Chops for days. Mackey has also carried a main role in the Netflix series Sex Education and I suppose has done well there. I would've said before remembering her turn in Nile that Rachel Brosnahan was the clear No. 1 choice. Now I'm legitimately torn.
Phoebe Dynevor is much more of an unknown to me, so hey, maybe she could grow into Lois Lane's character and make it her own. At this very moment, I'm leaning toward a Corenswet-Mackey combo. I feel like in terms of innate "type" — ugh I hate that term LOL — Brosnahan is a more obvious fit for Lois. Going a little more exotic and potentially darker with Mackey is an interesting twist to me.
So many UK actors take big-time American acting parts, so it'd be kinda dope to see the Philly guy Corenswet win out over the two Brits he's contending with. I'm of the mind that the best actor should get the job. It shouldn't be a super, nationalist-based territorial thing. Not like we're talking about a U.S. actor playing James Bond or something. Henry Cavill did an excellent job with what he was given during Zack Snyder's DC run. Maybe now it's time to give Supes back to a home-grown actor in Corenswet. Would be a cool story.
Whatever casting deciisons are made, I trust James Gunn and this new regime to steer the DC Universe in the right direction. I've said it before, but seeing Gunn tackle a more traditional superhero rather than the far more eccentric fare he's leaned into in the past has me wildly intrigued to see how Superman: Legacy turns out.
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Since tests for Superman are taking place around Father's Day, why not grab yourself some merrrrrrrrch??