Rumors about top contenders for roles in the upcoming Superman: Legacy film surfaced recently. But DC Studios Co-CEO and filmmaker James Gunn responds that only one role has been cast so far.
The most recent speculation stems from The Hollywood Reporter who named David Corenswet (Pearl) as a frontrunner. Another name mentioned was Nicholas Hoult (Renfield). Aside from Clark/Kent Superman, actresses Emma Mackey (Barbie), Samara Weaving (Scream VI), Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton), and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) allegedly auditioned for the role of Lois Lane.
But are these reports of the Superman: Legacy auditions and casting accurate? James Gunn himself provides some clarity, though it might not be what everyone else expects.
On his official Twitter account, James Gunn responded to the rumors of alleged top contenders for the main cast of Superman: Legacy. Although he neither confirmed nor denied any of the speculation, the DC Studios Co-CEO merely affirmed that he would not make it public until the actor does it first.
For all of you asking, I would never comment on who is or isn’t AUDITIONING for a role. That’s the actor’s business only & isn’t something I’d make public unless they did it first after the fact (like @GlennHowerton or @ZacharyLevi having auditioned for Star-Lord & being top…
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 13, 2023
The full text of Gunn’s tweet reads:
For all of you asking, I would never comment on who is or isn’t AUDITIONING for a role. That’s the actor’s business only & isn’t something I’d make public unless they did it first after the fact (like @GlennHowerton or @ZacharyLevi having auditioned for Star-Lord & being top choices). For now, only one person has been CAST in Superman: Legacy, and it isn’t any of the regular players in the Superman world.
Interestingly, Gunn adds a merman emoji at the end. Now, this could mean nothing and just a funny way to close the tweet. But like his contemporary filmmaker Zack Snyder, Gunn will often add cryptic messages, hinting at what’s going on behind the scenes. Could this emoji actually be referring to the role that Gunn states has been cast and "isn’t any of the regular players in the Superman world?" If so, who could it be?
One theory is that it is Aquaman. In the DC Extended Universe, that role is played by actor Jason Momoa who is set to return in Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom. And it has been suggested that Momoa might be one of the few who will retain his DC Universe role, once the reboot after The Flash movie happens. Perhaps this is a subtle way of suggesting Momoa will cameo in Superman: Legacy?
Another theory is it is Lori Lemaris. Hailing from the Silver Age, Lori Lemaris is a mermaid that had a romantic relationship with Clark Kent in his early years just prior to or soon after he adopted the Superman persona. In her DC Comics appearances, Lori would be forced to leave or in some cases perish, essentially becoming the "one that got away" when it comes to Clark’s love interests.
Given that James Gunn confirmed that this is not an origin story but Clark Kent in his early days as a reporter for the Daily Planet and already established a short career as Superman, Lori Lemaris might not be a far-off theory. It would certainly bring something new to the live action version of the Man of Steel that has not been explored before.
While DC Comics fans are looking at every bit of news regarding who will replace Henry Cavill as the Last Son of Krypton, for now the only DC Studios project definitively cast is Creature Commandos.
Superman: Legacy, the official beginning of the rebooted DC Universe, is currently targeted for a theatrical release on July 11, 2025.
