Superman is just months away from launching Peter Safran and James Gunn’s new DCU, and the excitement is evident. While most fans expected to continue with Henry Cavill as Clark Kent, Gunn’s new direction for the Man of Steel movies needed someone much younger, and that’s where David Corenswet comes in. The 2025 film is expected to follow Clark Kent as he deals with his human and Kryptonian heritage as he starts interning at the Daily Planet.
While this upcoming Superman movie has already undergone some significant changes from the title being Superman: Legacy to just Superman, it’s the casting that fans are more excited about now that significant stars have been confirmed to appear. Here are the primary cast and characters set to appear in Gunn’s 2025 Superman film.
David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman
Corenswet, known for his roles in Hollywood and Netflix’s The Politician, will lead in this Superman movie as the Kryptonian, Clark Kent. He takes over from Cavill, who has played Superman in the DC universe for the last decade. While his casting came amid the controversy that Cavill wouldn’t be returning to dawn the iconic red cape after his cameo in Black Adam, fans are finally warming up to the idea that a fresh face could be the start of something new. Corenswet is perfect casting and has already bulked up for the role, and while Zack Snyder’s films were criticized for being more of the darker side, Gunn has promised fans that this Superman will go back to its comic origins and bring with it a sense of humor that’s been lacking in the past decades.
Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star, Rachel Brosnahan will play Kent’s love interest and Daily Planet news reporter, Lois Lane. Unlike in other Superman films where Lane is just one of many side characters to push Kent’s story forward, Gunn confirmed that in the 2025 movie, Lane will be one of the main characters and the show will build more on the chemistry and friendship they have. Brosnahan is also known for her appearance in The Blacklist and House of Cards.
Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor
Nicholas Hoult has been on a winning streak lately, and starring in DCU’s Superman will only add to his impressive list of acting credits, which include The Menu, The Great, Tolkien, and X-Men: First Class. Hoult auditioned to play Superman, but while he wasn’t successful, Gunn kept him on to play Superman’s main villain, LexLuthor. While Luthor won’t be this film’s main villain, he will serve as one of the main characters. Gunn promised that this iteration of the iconic billionaire would be very different from what fans expected.
Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl
Another reasonably new acting star joining the DCU through Superman is Isabela Merced who was cast as Justice League’s Hawkgirl, Kendra Saunders. Her appearance does beg the question of whether Gunn will recast Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman, who appeared in Black Adam, or bring him on in this movie as he has done for some characters from the DCEU. Merced has appeared in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, the poorly received Madame Web, and has an upcoming role in The Last of Us Season 2.
Milly Alcock as Supergirl
The role of Supergirl in 2025’s Superman was highly contested among famous Hollywood starlets like House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock, who was the top pick for the role by Gunn. While Gunn hasn’t confirmed whether this character will debut in 2025’s Superman yet, she will have her standalone film, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which he promises will be much different from what fans have seen. Gunn said that having seen her planet destroyed and the people she loved die, Supergirl will be darker than previous portrayals of her character, like Melissa Benoist’s upbeat and chipper version in the Arrowverse.
Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific
Start-Up, Twilight, and For All Mankind star Edi Gathegi will join the DCU as the super genius, Mr. Terrific. He is brilliant and has used his smarts to create powerful weapons that help fight bad guys. Hopefully, his character will not meet the same fate that his Superhero character in X-Men: First Class met so soon for an almost unbeatable individual.
Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen
Skyler Gisondo will play Kent’s best friend and one-third of the Lois and Kent trio at the Daily Planet. Gisondo is known for his roles in Santa Clarita Diet,The Binge, Booksmart, Licorice Pizza, and Family Guy. Olsen is the Daily Planet’s photographer, and according to the plot, he will be a part of the movie’s main plot.
Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord
Gilmore Girls’ Sean Gunn was cast as the villain Maxwell Lord in 2025’s Superman. There was a lot of controversy with this casting choice because fans complained that he favored his family members for top jobs in the DCU. Pedro Pascal previously played the role in Wonder Woman’s 1984. Although he will be mentioned in the film, it is unclear whether he will have a significant role in the plot, which is already jam-packed with characters. Gunn is more known for his role as the Ravager Kraglin in Guardians of the Galaxy Trilogy.
Antony Carrigan as Metamorpho
Fan favorite actor Antony Carrigan, known for his role as the villain Victor Zsasz in DC’s Gotham series and HBO’s Barry, will play another Justice League superhero, Metamorpho, whose abilities allow him to transform into almost anything from weapons to objects, which can be a handy skill to have when fighting evil in Metropolis. He is one of the best casting choices for this upcoming film, and Gunn got it right.
Wendell Pierce as Perry White
Jack Ryan and Suits actor Wendell Pierce join the DCU as The Daily Planet’s news editor-in-chief, Perry White. Laurence Fishburne previously played the role in Snyder’s Man of Steel films. Pierce is a talented actor who has proven his diversity since he became a staple in the acting industry while working on the critically acclaimed series The Wire. He will do an excellent job as the no-nonsense Perry White. Read on everything you need to know about James Gunn’s Superman.