David Corenswet Wants to Be a Superman You Can Count On

Even before he became a linchpin of a new superhero verse, David Corenswet took pride in being reliable.

- Kyle Buchanan

RK – His reputation in America has been elevated since he was a child, and he once delivered his lines efficiently during a complicated shoot that the crew got to appreciate early.

He made people feel that every name on the call sheet meant a better day – a little bit better each day, and maybe a more productive day," he said.

Corenswet’s reliability will face its ultimate test. The 32-year-old is playing the iconic title role in James Gunn’s Superman, which is showing in cinemas and has earned US$220 million (S$282 million) at the box office.

This latest iteration is the foundation for the American filmmaker and DC Studios head’s ambitious, long-term plan to revitalize the Superman franchise, and Corenswet is its cornerstone. His take on the character could not be more different from the brooding, physically imposing brute Henry Cavill portrayed in the Superman films of 2017.

This version of Superman is witty and good-natured; he sees the best in everyone, winces at bad language, and is more likely to exclaim, ""What the hey, dude?!"" He is devoted to doing the right thing, even swoops in to save a bystander from being crushed in one chaotic action sequence. This is no boring Boy Scout.

Corenswet brings plenty of charm and humor to his portrayal and, in the witty tête-à-têtes between Superman and his girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), shows the troubled character he has become when his unsolicited advice has real-world repercussions.

"Oftentimes Superman, in the media, has been just this perfect blank slate without a personality," Gunn said. "And that’s not David’s Superman at all."

The 1.93m-tall Juilliard School graduate’s first major leading role came in American writer-director-producer Ryan Murphy’s period drama