Over a decade since his last solo outing in 2013’s Man of Steel, Superman is back on the big screen, courtesy of James Gunn. 2025’s Superman is a tentpole release for the Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad director’s big revamp of the DC Extended Universe, with the latter (a ‘do-over’ of the similarly named 2016 controversy-stirrer) ushering in his jump to the longtime Marvel rivals.
As well as the director, the casting of characters as iconic as The Man of Steel always attracts attention, good or bad. So, with the film hitting theatres in July, here’s what you might have seen the cast of Superman (2025) in before, and where to watch them.
David Corenswet - Clark Kent/Superman
Much like Henry Cavill when he took the role, the man in the red and blue is being played by relative ‘unknown,’ David Corenswet. An alien refugee from infancy, Kal-El grows up on Earth as Clark Kent, develops godly powers under our planet’s yellow sun, and eventually uses them in the name of truth, justice and the American way as Superman. But are those values still relevant in a deeply divided world?
Coreswet’s biggest film credit before Superman is horror film Pearl, which has a period setting not too far from the perennial 1930s/40s Supes vibe. He also played villainous storm chaser Scott in Twisters, and one of two Lili Reinhart love interests in reality-shifting rom-com, Look Both Ways. TV-wise, he was bi-con River Barkley in the campy political satire The Politician.
Rachel Brosnahan - Lois Lane
Clark Kent’s fellow Daily Planet reporter keen to blow the lid on who Superman really is, Lois Lane is (almost) always fated to be the romantic partner of both. It takes an actor with tenacity to take her on, and in looks and temperament, the woman who played The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s titular trailblazing female comedian makes perfect sense.
Aside from this, Brosnahan would be familiar to House Of Cards viewers as Rachel Posner (aka ‘Call Girl,’ initially) in the political drama’s first three seasons.
Nicholas Hoult - Lex Luthor
Superman’s archnemesis is billionaire technocrat Lex Luthor, who, as well as possessing the traditionally villainous traits of greed and power, despises the alien superhero for being more beloved than he is. Playing him is Nicholas Hoult, probably the most famous face of the cast.
One of numerous Skins alumni who’ve built enviable Hollywood careers, Hoult’s breakthrough came before the cult British series in another coming-of-age drama, About A Boy. He carved a path in action blockbusters like Clash of the Titans and Jack the Giant Slayer before landing the role of a young Beast in the X-Men films and, later, the unhinged Nux in Mad Max: Fury Road. Since then, he’s switched between quirky historical pieces (The Great, The Favourite) and even darker fare (The Menu, Renfield, Nosferatu).
Skyler Gisondo - Jimmy Olsen
He’s Superman’s best pal and The Daily Planet’s eager ‘boy’ photographer. The part of iconic red-head Jimmy Olsen—who hopefully won’t suffer the same grim fate he did in Batman v Superman—belongs to Skyler Gisondo.
You’re more likely to know Gisondo from the many TV shows he’s been in rather than his indie films, Booksmart and Licorice Pizza. Most notably, he played one of the titular Righteous Gemstones, Gideon, Sam in mysterious tropical-set series The Resort, and the adorkable Eric in cannibal comedy The Santa Clarita Diet.
Nathan Fillion - Guy Gardner
Among DC Comics’ Lantern Corps, Guy Gardner may seem like an odd inclusion compared to better-known Green Lanterns like Hal Jordan and Jon Stewart. But Gardner’s popularity with fans as an unlikable rebel with a cause makes the character a welcome surprise in Superman—as is the casting of Nathan Fillion.
Fillion is neither new to working with James Gunn—popping up in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3—or playing a Lantern, though this is the first time he’s done the latter in live action. He’s best known to armchair detectives for personifying author-sleuth Richard Castle in Castle and to nerdier viewers for the beloved Joss Whedon show, Firefly.
Isabela Merced - Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl
Superman’s fellow Justice Leaguer Kendra Saunders, aka Hawkgirl, is one half of an avian hero pair alongside her fated beau, Hawkman, who showed up in the DCEU’s Black Adam. Both are aliens who have been reincarnating on Earth since ancient Egyptian times, heavily influencing their costumes.
Isabela Merced’s profile has been significantly raised as Dina in The Last of Us’ second season. She was also one of the unfortunate young crew in Alien: Romulus, teen superhero Anya Corazón in Madame Web, plucky scavenger Izabella in Transformers: The Last Knight and the lead part in Dora and the Lost City of Gold.
Edi Gathegi - Michael Holt/Mister Terrific
Terrific by name, terrific by intellect: Michael Holt is the second character in the comics to have the Mister Terrific mantle, is an on-off Justice League member, and a whizz with technology. Arrow devotees will remember him appearing in the latter half of the CW series, played by Echo Kellum.
As for Ed Gathegi, Twilight heads who never forget a face might clock him as the morally ambiguous Laurent. But Gathegi is more prolific in TV than film, including two editions of The Blacklist, the crypto crime thriller StartUp and Ronald D. Moore’s alternative space race epic, For All Mankind.
María Gabriela de Faría - Angela Spica/The Engineer
Originally part of the defunct Wildstorm Universe, which was folded into the DCU, Angela Spica became the second ‘Engineer’ in The Authority team when she infused her blood with her deceased predecessor's nano-tech, becoming part-human, part-liquid metal. Her allegiances can be as malleable as her body.
Playing The Engineer will be María Gabriela de Faría’s biggest role yet, being best known before Superman for another comic book adaptation, Deadly Class, in which she was student assassin Maria Salazar.
Anthony Carrigan - Rex Mason/Metamorpho
Anthony Carrigan’s distinctive appearance makes him an excellent choice for the shapeshifting Metamorpho. Originally a classic Batman and Superman antagonist, Rex Mason has since turned over a new leaf to become a founding member of the Outsiders and later a Justice Leaguer.
This isn’t Carrigan’s first DC rodeo or taking on a smooth-shaped villain, having played twisted murderer Victor Zszaz in Gotham and a killer robot in Bill & Ted Face the Music. You may also know him from the darkly funny HBO show Barry or darkly fantastical Death of a Unicorn.
Frank Grillo - Rick Flag Sr.
As is clear in the name, Rick Flag Sr. is the father of The Suicide Squad’s Rick Flag Jr. Grillo has already had a test run inhabiting the hardened General in the DCU animated web series Creature Commandos, where he had a run-in with the mentally and physically unstable villain, Clayface.
Grillo is well-accustomed to portraying griseled men of action, having played one of Captain America’s deadliest adversaries, Crossbones, in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the unkillable Roy Pulver in Boss Level and ruthless cop Leo Barnes in The Purge: Anarchy.
Wendell Pierce - Perry White
Unlike his alliterative and hot-headed Marvel equivalent at the Daily Bugle, the Daily Planet’s Perry White is a steadfast editorial leader and boss to Clark, Lois, and Jimmy. He’s played by industry veteran Wendell Pierce, whose star has been on the rise of late.
Cast your mind back to groundbreaking series The Wire, and his face should slot into place with Detective Moreland, aka ‘Bunk.’ He’s also had major roles in legal drama fave Suits and Selma, where he chronicled Martin Luthor King Jr.’s famous 1965 march for civil rights.
Sara Sampaio - Eve Teschmacher
Eve Teschmacher is unique among the Superman character roster in that she’s a movie original, debuting as Lex Luthor’s weary assistant/girlfriend in the first Richard Donner film. Since being inducted into the comics’ continuity, she’s become a fixture across DC’s media pantheon, though sometimes under alternate names, such as Tess Mercer and Mercy Graves.
She’s played by Sara Sampaio, the greenest of the actors on this list, stemming from a modelling background. Her most noteworthy credits before this include AI thriller Wifelike.
Where To Watch The 'Superman' Cast's Movies And TV Shows Online
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