Superman star Nicholas Hoult reveals the "magic" moment when David Corenswet first flew onto set as the Man of Steel: "I felt like I was witnessing the magic of cinema"

Superman stars Nicholas Hoult and Rachel Brosnahan have first-hand experience of witnessing David Corenswet’s highly-anticipated portrayal of the iconic DC superhero – and are finally sharing the details.

Appearing on stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, the acting duo – who play Lex Luthor and Lois Lane in the 2025 summer blockbuster – opened up about their magical on-set memories to an amped-up crowd of cinema owners and media, including GamesRadar+.

"I have a very clear memory," recalled Hoult. "I was on a set where David was dressed as Superman. He was flying on to the set and the bright sun was illuminating him from behind – and it was one of those moments where I felt like I was witnessing the magic of cinema in first person and in real time."

Attempting to stay in character as the villainous Lex Luthor on the sidelines of the set, the British actor continued: "I was sitting there thinking, 'I’m evil, I hate him, et cetera.' But I also felt this little warmth in my tummy and I had a little stupid grin on my face. I remember thinking, 'This is magic.'"

Glancing around the top-secret set, Hoult was excited to see the rest of the cast and crew exhibiting the same feelings. "I turned around to see another 50 people in the room and they’ve all got that same expression on their face as they’re watching him," the actor explains.

"That was beautiful to witness because it shows what this character means and how David represents him, as well as what James has created with this story. It shows the magic of what these stories have created for all of us in the cinema."

Brosnahan has similar sweet memories from the big-budget set of the DC blockbuster. "I remember we shot a scene where we were walking through a field at night and the moon was behind you," she said, talking to Corenswet on stage at the Warner Bros presentation. "The trees were blowing the distance. It was magic."

Speaking to the crowd with a smile on her face, the Lois Lane star added "I think I turned to you – and I don’t know if I'm allowed to curse in here – but I said, 'Dude, you’re fucking Superman… This is crazy!' And David was like, 'Yes, I know. I’ve been here for many, many months.'"

Superman is released on July 11, 2025. For more, check out our guides all the upcoming DC movies and shows on the way as well as our guide to watching the DC movies in order.