Corenswet will now be the face of DC’s Man of Steel going forward, with Superman arriving in 2025. Gunn has previously said that the new DC Universe will be more in line with the comics than the DCEU was. That should heavily impact Superman, perhaps more than other heroes. While director Zack Snyder had planned to eventually get to the classic boy scout Superman with Cavill, he and DC parted ways before that could happen, resulting in Cavill’s Superman never quite getting there. Cavill’s Clark Kent also missed a big element, and Corenswet’s can rectify that mistake.
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Superman will be the first film released in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe, and the Man of Steel reboot boasts an impressive cast.
Henry Cavill’s Adult Clark Kent Side Was Barely Explored
In Man of Steel, Snyder showed snippets of Clark’s journey from arriving on Earth to becoming Superman. While key moments from Clark’s early days are shown, including Jonathan Kent’s sacrifice to keep his son’s identity a secret and a young Clark saving his classmates from drowning as their school bus fell into a river, what happens after that is the problem. After becoming Superman, Cavill’s time as the adult version of Clark Kent was barely explored. While Superman is likely the most well-known superhero ever and deserves screen time, the Clark Kent side is just as important for the hero.
Christopher Reeve’s depiction of the DC hero is held in high regard to this day due to how he managed to make both Superman and Clark Kent feel so distinct, sometimes just with a subtle posture change. In the DCEU, Clark Kent was cast aside. Cavill’s Superman fought heroes and villains throughout a few different movies, but Clark’s interactions with Lois Lane and Ma Kent were only shown sporadically. Clark’s entire Daily Planet journey was only kept to a few scenes in the DCEU, with Cavill barely being able to present that important side of the character.
As Cavill’s Superman only got one solo movie and went years without appearing in the DCEU, his Clark Kent side ended up appearing minimally.
David Corenswet’s Superman Movie Will Focus On Both Sides Of The Character
Clark And Superman Will Get Equal Focus
Custom image by Simon GallagherWhile Cavill’s time as the DCEU’s Man of Steel did not include much from the classic Clark Kent stories from the comics, Gunn’s new take on the franchise with the 2025 Superman reboot can bring the character back to his comic book roots. Superman raised some concerns due to the number of other DCU heroes who will appear in the film. Some fans were afraid that it would take time away from Corenswet’s Superman; however, Gunn has said that will not be the case and expanded on what fans can expect from Corenswet’s character.
According to the director, Superman will give equal focus to both the Superman and Clark Kent sides of Corenswet’s hero. Among his many comments on the matter, Gunn has guaranteed that Superman‘s story centers on Lois Lane and Clark Kent, with the DCU’s heroes being important to the Superman side of things, while Lois and Jimmy Olsen are important for the other side of the character. With the recent casting of Perry White for the movie, Gunn’s Superman could make Clark Kent’s life at the Daily Planet a major fixture of the DCU.
The first reports about Superman’s story claimed that the movie would focus on Clark Kent as a cub reporter in Metropolis, further hinting at the importance of that side of the character to the DCU and that the Daily Planet will play a bigger role than it did in the DCEU.
The DCU Superman Can Take Daily Planet Cues From A Recent Superman Series
The Boys’ Jack Quaid’s Time As Superman Can Help The DCU
Corenswet’s Clark Kent in Gunn’s Superman can take some cues from the excellent My Adventures with Superman animated series. The recent addition to the Man of Steel’s long animated legacy aimed to modernize the hero, his origin, his supporting cast, and famous DC villains like Deathstroke. Interestingly, the recent reveal of Superman’s DCU costume logo matches what My Adventures with Superman ended up going for with its design. More than any design similarities, Gunn’s Superman could give the same focus and care to the Daily Planet and its cast of characters that My Adventures with Superman has.
In the animated series, Clark, Lois, and Jimmy work together at the Daily Planet, trying to prove themselves to Perry White, with the show using their assignments at the paper to further the series’ Superman stories. As the trio will also be young in the DCU, having Superman show their attempt to grow within the Daily Planet, giving Perry White and possibly other staff members like Steve Lombard their time to shine, would instantly separate Superman from the DCEU’s version and connect to the comics.