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And there we have it - we've just been introduced to our new Lois and Clark.
As announced yesterday, David Corenswet will play Superman/Clark Kent in James Gunn's forthcoming Superman: Legacy, while Rachel Brosnahan will take on the role of Lois Lane.
From where we're standing this is a terrific casting choice. All of the actors that we know were on the shortlist - Nicholas Hoult, Tom Brittney and Corenswet for Superman; Emma Mackey, Phoebe Dynevor and Brosnahan for Lois - sounded promising and would have no doubt offered compelling takes on these two iconic characters, but there's something about this particular pairing that just feels right.
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's classic All-Star Superman is said to be an inspiration on the film (though the story itself will focus on a younger Superman who is learning to balance both his Kryptonian heritage and his human side, rather than confronting the end of his life, as in that comic). While it won't be a direct adaptation, something like All-Star's warmth, optimism and strong sense of humor absolutely feels like the right way to go with Superman now.
A touch of old school glamour
Corenswet is the ideal face for that. There's something of the matinee idol about him that Ti West exploited to great effect in last year's Pearl. In that film he played both a charming romantic lead and someone harboring deep secrets - an essential quality for an actor playing the split life of Superman and Clark Kent.
In interviews, Corenswet has cited Marlon Brando and James Dean as acting inspirations, which also feels right for a character that has long had a foot in a bygone age. He's also able to project an inherent goodness that's essential for Superman, as well as an affecting vulnerability.
Brosnahan, too, has an appealingly old school vibe that's not a million miles away from Margot Kidder's take on Lois Lane. The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor starred in five seasons of The Marvellous Mrs Maisel, about a young housewife-turned-standup comedian. Brosnahan is hilarious, both in character and in her interviews, and it feels like her Lois may play up the character's sharp wit and steely journalistic nous more than Amy Adams' (very good - no shade here!) rather more grounded and serious take on the tole.
It helps, of course, that both actors absolutely look the part. There's a striking height difference between the 6 ft 3 Corenswet and the 5 ft 3 Brosnahan - a weird thing to highlight, perhaps, but one that replicates the comics, where Supes is sometimes said to be around 6 ft 3, with Lois around 5 ft 6. And let's be honest, the widely commented-on visual similarities between Corenswet and his immediate predecessor are no bad thing given that Henry Cavill's mighty screen presence was one of the things that seemed to unite viewers about Zack Snyder's often controversial take on the DC universe.
It's going to be a while before we see Corenswet and Brosnahan on screen in character, of course. Perhaps we're completely wrong and what we're about to see will be an entirely new take on these two characters. Even if that's the case it feels like, after years of being denied another standalone Superman film, the future of Lois and Clark is in good hands both in front of and behind the cameras.
Now, how about those Lex Luthor rumors?
Superman: Legacy is in cinemas on July 11, 2025.
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