Superman’s James Gunn on How He Cast David Corenswet as Clark Kent

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In his recent appearance, director James Gunn shared the story of how he found his choice for Superman, David Corenswet. Gunn’s upcoming Superman film marks the initial cinematic venture into the emerging DC Universe. The selection of the legendary role of Superman/Clark Kent was always a crucial factor in setting the tone for the franchise.

James Gunn thought David Corenswet could be Superman after watching his performance in Pearl

In an appearance on JM Video Club (through Konbini), Gunn discussed his inspirations as a filmmaker during a 30-minute segment. He highlighted the 2022 horror film Pearl, praising the performance of Corenswet as The Projectionist and suggesting that the actor could embody the character of Superman.

Apparently, I was engrossed in a fantastic film titled ‘Pearl.’ In it, there’s a character named The Projectionist who bears an uncanny resemblance to Superman, I thought. So, I checked out his name on IMDb and requested, ‘Could you arrange for this man to come here?’

Initially, Gunn considered another actor for the Superman role, but their audition performance wasn’t impressive. Later, he watched Corenswet’s tape and found him exceptionally talented and funny, so he decided to consider him instead.

To note, Pearl functions as a precursor to the 2022 release of X and is the second installment in the X film franchise. Ti West directed this film, which he co-wrote with Mia Goth, who plays the lead character, Pearl, in the movie.

Prior to landing the role of Superman, Corenswet’s acting portfolio featured “Affairs of State” (2018), “Look Both Ways” (2022), “The Politician” on Netflix, and the Netflix miniseries “Hollywood”. In June 2023, it was made official that Corenswet would play Superman in Gunn’s upcoming film. Critics have showered praise on Corenswet’s portrayal of Superman, with Matt Morrison from SuperHeroHype remarking that this could be “one of the finest portrayals” of the character ever seen on screen.

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2025-07-14 09:16