James Gunn first official look David Corenswet in 2025’s “Superman” brings a new version of the Man of Steel and his iconic costume to the big screen. Hollywood has been depicting Superman in live-action format for 76 years and counting, as the first actor to take on the superhero role on screen was Kirk Alyn in the 1948 film serial “Superman.”
Since then, a handful of actors have brought Superman to life on film and television screens over the decades. Corenswet has a long legacy to live up to, from Christopher Reeve’s iconic turn in the 1970s to Henry Cavill’s braver Man of Steel in Zack Snyder’s DC Universe. In 2019, Corenswet said Entertainment Weekly that his biggest goal as an actor was “definitely playing Superman.”
“I’d love to see someone do an optimistic throwback [take on Superman]”he said at the time. “I love Henry Cavill’s dark and gritty version, but I would love to see the next one be very bright and optimistic.”
Since Corenswet looks sullen and is wearing a dirty Superman suit on the first look In James Gunn’s film, it seems like his Man of Steel might still have some bravery left in him. Gunn previously said Variety that his Superman actor had to “be someone who has all the humanity that Superman has but who is also an alien. It has to be someone who has the kindness and compassion that Superman has and someone who you want to give a hug.”
Check out the evolution of Superman’s costume in film and television (and the actors who wore the cape) in the list below.
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Kirk Alyn (‘Superman’)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Everett Collection
Kirk Alyn is the first actor to portray Superman in live-action format, playing the Man of Steel in the 1958 film series “Superman” and its 1950 sequel “Atom Man vs. Superman.” Both films were released in 15 episodes.
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George Reeves (‘The Adventures of Superman’)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Everett Collection
George Reeves made Superman an icon of 1950s television as the star of “The Adventures of Superman,” the first television show centered on the Man of Steel. The series lasted six seasons and 104 episodes between 1952 and 1958.
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Christopher Reeve (‘Superman’, ‘Superman II’, ‘Superman III’ and ‘Superman IV: The Quest for Peace’)
Image credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
For many moviegoers, Christopher Reeve remains the definitive Superman on screen. He debuted as the Man of Steel in Richard Donner’s seminal 1978 classic and reprized the superhero in three sequels released between 1983 and 1987.
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Dean Cain (‘Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman’)
Image credit: ©Lorimar Film Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection
Dean Cain brought Superman to life in the 1990s as the star of the ABC series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” which ran for four seasons and 88 episodes from 1993 to 1997. Joining Cain was Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane. .
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Tom Welling (‘Smallville’)
Image credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Tom Welling played a teenage Clark Kent/Superman in the television series “Smallville,” which ran for 10 seasons and 217 episodes between 2001 and 2011. The series took the story of Superman and reinvented it as a coming-of-age drama centered on in Clark’s life. family life and high school life. Welling reprized his version of Superman in an episode of The CW series “Batwoman.”
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Brandon Routh (‘Superman Returns’)
Image credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Brandon Routh played Superman in the 2006 comic book movie “Superman Returns,” which followed the Man of Steel as he returns to Earth after an extended absence and reconnects with Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) and confronts Lex. Luthor (Kevin Spacey). Although Routh earned praise for playing Christopher Reeve, the film plummeted at the box office with just $391 million worldwide and did not spawn a new franchise for the actor. Routh reprized this version of Superman in episodes of The CW comic series “The Flash,” “Legends of Tomorrow,” and “Batwoman.”
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Henry Cavill (‘Man of Steel’, ‘Batman v Superman’, ‘Justice League’)
Image credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Henry Cavill played Superman in Zack Snyder’s DC Universe, starting with his own 2013 standalone film “Man of Steel” and continuing with 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and 2017’s “Justice League.” He intended to return as the superhero after reprising Superman in the post-credits scene of 2022’s “Black Adam,” which set up a future in the DC Universe where he would go head-to-head against Dwayne Johnson.
A little over a month later, Warner Bros. and DC Studios announced Gunn and Safran as the new heads of the latter company. The duo was tasked with revamping the DC Universe on the big screen, and their plan included bringing in a new Superman actor to anchor their universe. It was an especially hard blow for Cavill, who had left his starring role in Netflix’s “The Witcher,” presumably because his future appeared to include more Superman projects before Gunn and Safran were hired.
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Tyler Hoechlin (‘Superman and Lois’)
Image credit: ©CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection
Tyler Hoechlin debuted as Superman on The CW’s “Supergirl,” starring in six episodes of the series before continuing the character on “The Flash,” “Arrow” and “Batwoman.” As of 2021, Hoechlin got her own standalone series “Superman & Lois,” co-starring Elizabeth Tulloch as Lois Lane. The show has aired three seasons and will return for a fourth and final season.
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Henry Cavill (‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’)
Image credit: Warner Bros.
Henry Cavill’s hero sports a specialized black version of the iconic superhero suit in “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” the four-hour version of the first-maligned superhero team-up movie that gave its filmmaker more control creative. The different costume is one of the most notable differences between the final acts of the two versions of “Justice League.”
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Nicolas Cage (‘Flash’)
Image credit: Warner Bros.
Nicolas Cage made a surprise cameo as the Man of Steel in 2022’s “The Flash,” coming full circle on a role he was supposed to play for director Tim Burton in a failed Superman movie that never got off the ground. The duo was supposed to make “Superman Lives” in 1998 from a script by Kevin Smith. The plot focused on Superman’s fight against Doomsday. Despite spending more than $30 million on casting and pre-production for the film, Warner Bros. canceled “Superman Lives” due to creative differences.
“If you really want to know what I was going to do with that character, watch my performance in ‘City of Angels,’” Cage once said. USA today about what fans might have expected from his version of Superman. “It was supposed to [to play] Clark Kent after that and I was already developing this alien otherness playing this angel. That’s a perfect example of the tonality you would have gotten for Kal-El and Clark Kent: Clark would have been a little funnier but Kal-El had sensitivity and kindness and vulnerability and all those feelings that were kind of angelic and also terrifying. ”.
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David Corenswet (‘Superman’)
Image credit: James Gunn/Threads/Jess Miglio
David Corenswet is making his debut as the Man of Steel in “Superman,” James Gunn’s big 2025 film, previously titled “Superman: Legacy.” The film begins a new DC Universe that will encompass films, television series and video games. Gunn oversees the DC Universe along with Peter Safran.
Corenswet is getting the big break of a lifetime as the star of “Superman,” marking his first time starring in a major Hollywood film. The 30-year-old actor is best known for his supporting roles in two Netflix series created by Ryan Murphy, “The Politician” and “Hollywood.” His most notable film role before “Superman” was in “Pearl,” the horror film directed by Ti West and starring Mia Goth.
“Superman” will be released in theaters on July 11, 2025, from Warner Bros.
‘ This article may contain information published by third parties, some details of this article were extracted from the following source: variety.com ‘
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