James Gunn (right) with David Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Warner Bros. PicturesFor David Corenswet, stepping into the red boots of Superman meant more than just donning the cape — it meant diving headfirst into a production powered by passion, precision, and a deep reverence for a cultural icon.
“Working with James Gunn was better than I could have possibly imagined or asked for,” Corenswet said of the writer-director behind the new Superman film. “Ultimately driven by a love of the material and a love of making movies.”
Corenswet, who leads Gunn’s reimagining of the DC superhero, spoke about the energy Gunn brought to set — a filmmaker who “learned how to read on DC Comics” and is now, Corenswet said, “like a kid in a… not in a candy shop, but, well, I guess in a comic book store.”
“He’s very clear on his vision, and at the same time, a great idea can come from anyone,” Corenswet said. “It can come from his actors or his PAs, most of whom he knows by name and has worked with before.”
The collaboration extended to DC Studios co-chair Peter Safran, who, according to Corenswet, helped shape the process from the very beginning. “Peter just facilitated an incredibly smooth and positive production,” he said. “Actually from the screen test — Peter and James designed this screen test that was a whole weekend and involved scene work with the actors paired up, and also some costume tests and some stunt work as well.”
“That just gave way to an amazing production that was smooth and efficient, and again, positive. Everybody was very excited to come to work every day.”
At the heart of it all is the character of Superman himself — a symbol Corenswet says is as vital as ever.
“I think he symbolizes the ideal of doing good and doing your best. He symbolizes the best of us, and above all, he embodies the perseverance of you get up every day and you do your best,” Corenswet said. “You put one foot in front of the other and you do what you can with good intentions and awareness of the effects of what you can do, and the responsibilities that come with what you can do.”
The film explores those ideals in a world that, Corenswet noted, can often undervalue them. “That’s what the movie’s about too — those ideals in a world that doesn’t think those ideals are that cool or that worthwhile, or if you do good you’re left in the dust of people who are willing to go farther or be more selfish.”
“But ultimately, the ride becomes one I think will leave audiences feeling energized and excited and ready to take on anything.”
Corenswet also opened up about the physical demands of playing Superman — particularly the signature power: flight.
“It is simultaneously extremely uncomfortable and the most exhilarating and liberating feeling in the world,” he said. “You’re strung up by wires on a harness underneath all your clothes, and so it certainly pinches and pulls and chafes and scrapes and all kinds of things, but somehow when the cameras roll and you hear ‘3, 2, 1, go’ and you’re flying through the air, that just goes away and you’re just flying.”
As for why audiences should be ready to return to Metropolis?
“What I want in a movie, especially when you go to the movie theaters, is you want all of the things that a great movie has: you want laughs and you want heart and you want heartbreak, you want loss,” he said. “You want great action sequences, which this movie is full of. You want big images.”
“I’ve seen bits of this movie on a small screen, and I’ve seen it on a big screen, and let me tell you, it is built for the big screen.”
By the end, Corenswet said, it’s about the experience — and wanting it again.
“You want to get to the end of the film and feel immediately like, I could go and watch that film again. I could go back on this ride. I just got off the roller coaster and I want to go get back in line and ride that thing again.”
"Superman" opens in Philippine cinemas on July 9.