Who Is David Corenswet? Meet the New Superman Actor Taking Flight

After David Corenswet was cast as Clark Kent in Superman, fans couldn’t help but point out how much he resembled the beloved superhero, who has been around for generations.

Director James Gunn first confirmed reports that Corenswet had been cast opposite Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane in June 2023. “Accurate! (They are not only both incredible actors, but also wonderful people),” Gunn tweeted at the time.

Related: Stars Who’ve Played Superheroes

To the rescue! Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars have donned tights and capes to save the day as beloved superheroes — see celebs including Ben Affleck, Chris Evans, and Gwyneth Paltrow as superheroes!

The actor replaced Henry Cavill after Gunn, who is leading DC Studios with Peter Safran, decided to tell the story of a young Clark Kent.

Keep scrolling to learn more about the newest Superman actor.

Who Is David Corenswet?

Born in 1993, the Pennsylvania native already has more than 20 years of acting experience. He started acting as a child in local theater productions in Philly before he moved to New York City to attend The Juilliard School, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

What Movies and TV Shows Has David Corenswet Appeared In?

Ryan Murphy fans have seen Corenswet in both The Politician and Hollywood. He starred on HBO’s 2022 crime drama We Own This City.

His movie credits are just as impressive. He has appeared in Affairs of the State and Sunlit Night. In 2022, he starred opposite Lili Reinhart in the Netflix drama Look Both Ways before joining Mia Goth in A24’s Pearl. He’s also appeared in the 2024 Twister sequel with Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell.

Related: Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot and More DC Stars With Their Kids: Family Guide

Amber Heard, Gal Gadot and Jason Momoa and more superheroes and villains from the DC franchise have families off screen. Heard, who plays Atlantean queen Mera in Aquaman, surprised her Instagram followers when she posted a photo with her daughter, Oonagh, in July 2021. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Please enter […]

Is David Corenswet a Superman Fan?

Yes — and he’s long been aware of his Clark Kent-esque looks. “My pie-in-the-sky ambition is definitely to play Superman,” Corenswet told Entertainment Weekly in 2019. “I would love to see somebody do an upbeat, throwback [take on Superman]. I love the Henry Cavill dark and gritty take, but I would love to see the next one be very bright and optimistic.”Corenswet said that he understood the weight of the role and how it could make or break his career.

Corenswet said that he understood the weight of the role and how it could make or break his career.

“When you take a role that’s gonna be this visible and this iconic, even just visually iconic, and it’s your face and the underwear, yeah, I wanted to be prepared for the possibility that it wouldn’t lead to a bunch of other things, that this would be the thing,” the actor said during a June 2025 episode of CBS Sunday Morning. “And I felt really lucky that when I asked myself that question the answer came back, somebody’s gotta play this part, and if you’re the person to play it and you give up everything else to do it, it would be worth doing.”

Is David Corenswet the Youngest Superman Actor?

No, Brandon Routh was 27 in 2006’s Superman Begins and Christopher Reeve was 26 when he first put the tights on in 1978. While he isn’t the youngest, Corenswet is a decade younger than his predecessor, Cavill.

“I don’t think there’s any way or reason to try to sort of live up to Christopher Reeve,” Corenswet said of taking over the role. “I just feel grateful to get to play that character that he embodied and put into the public consciousness in such a positive and strong way.”

Why Is David Corenswet Replacing Henry Cavill?

Cavill’s exit was determined in December 2022, seven months before Corenswet was cast. The British actor, who played Superman from 2013’s Man of Steel to 2022’s Black Adam, announced the news in a statement via Instagram.

“I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it’s sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman,” Cavill wrote at the time. “After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life.”

He continued: “The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. … I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.”

For his part, Gunn explained that the story was going in a different direction. “In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill,” he shared in a December 2022 statement. But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.”

Is David Corenswet Married?

Corenswet walked down the aisle with wife Julia Best Warner in 2023. They share one child.

“She told me that she was pregnant two days after I found out I was going to screen test for Superman,” Corenswet told People in June 2025 of learning he was going to be a father. “For the first several months of her pregnancy, as is sort of protocol, we weren’t telling anybody. We had these two quite huge secrets that we just had between the two of us. And that was intense.”

When Will ‘Superman’ Premiere?

The latest Superman film is set for release on July 11, 2025.