James Gunn says he would not have made a Superman movie if he hadn't found the right actor: "I don't know if anybody I've worked with before would've been able to do this stuff, besides maybe Chris Pratt"

Superman writer/director James Gunn is all-in on David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, telling GQ that he wouldn't have made the movie if he hadn't been able to cast an actor of Corenswet's pedigree. And there's another actor who Gunn namechecks as an example of the caliber of performer he was searching for: Chris Pratt, who played Peter Quill/Star-Lord in Gunn's three Guardians of the Galaxy films.

"I said from the beginning, If I don't find Superman, I'm not going to do this movie. Because I knew that this was dependent on the guy that's playing Superman," Gunn states. "The easy part is, [David Corenswet] looks like Superman. But the fact that David is a theater kid that's so athletic is even weirder. I don't know if anybody I've worked with before would've been able to do this stuff, besides maybe Chris Pratt."

Now, fear not - Gunn definitely isn't saying he considered Chris Pratt for the role of Superman. He's favorably comparing David Corenswet's ability to embody Superman and bring his directorial vision to life to the working relationship he's developed with Pratt.

Pratt has made a recent habit of voicing iconic characters, with his roles as Mario and Garfield. And of course, he's played a superhero before. But the idea of him as Superman would probably be a bridge further than even Gunn would consider in terms of a mismatch of actor and character.

That said, Gunn does love working with the same actors across his films, and he has revealed a secret voice cameo in Superman by several cast members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. So it would not be surprising at all if there was a DC role Gunn might consider for his buddy Chris Pratt at some point.

Superman flies onto the big screen on July 11 as the first feature-length installment of the DCU Chapter One. While we wait, check out our guide to the other upcoming superhero movies on the way in 2025 and beyond.