It’s a big year for superhero films, but perhaps the most notable is Superman, the first official DC Studios film and the latest by acclaimed writer and director James Gunn. For this version of Superman, the world has already existed for some time, which means fans will also get to see a number of classic DC superheroes and villains operating in or close to the prime of their careers.
You may have spotted a few familiar faces in the first trailer. Fortunately for you, we’ve got this guide on Superman’s cast, including where you’ve seen them before and where you can watch their most popular movies and TV shows on streaming.
David Corenswet (Clark Kent/Superman)
The latest to take on the coveted role of DC Comics’ legendary Man of Steel, David Corenswet has an esteemed career in smaller films. Of course, Superman could prove to be a massive breakout role for the character as he plays the latest iteration of the iconic DC Comics superhero, picking up where stars like Christopher Reeve, Henry Cavill, and Brandon Routh left off. Prior to his turn in Superman, fans may recognize Corenswet from his role in the indie horror hit Pearl or from the HBO police procedural series We Own This City alongside The Punisher star Jon Bernthal.
Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane)
Over the years, Lois Lane has become one of the most beloved and iconic comic book characters of all time, thanks to her no-nonsense attitude and razor-sharp journalist instincts. Film has notoriously underserved Lane, who was played by a bevy of big-name actors, including Margot Kidder and Amy Adams, but too often fell into the pattern of being a damsel in distress. Rachel Brosnahan is taking a swing at the role now, and with her history in heavy-hitting shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and House of Cards, all eyes are on her take on Lane and how she complements the newest Man of Steel.
Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor)
Following in the tradition of actors like the late, great Gene Hackman and Jesse Eisenberg, Nicholas Hoult takes on the role of Superman's legendary nemesis, Lex Luthor. Hoult has a long and storied career, has been a quiet fan favorite actor for years, and has demonstrated a chameleon-like ability to lose himself in roles. Early fans likely know him for Mad Max: Fury Road, but most recently, he shone as the lead in two modern classics: Robert Eggers' horror flick Nosferatu and Clint Eastwood's courtroom drama, Juror #2.
Edi Gathegi (Michael Holt/Mister Terrific)
Edi Gathegi becomes the second person to portray Mister Terrific/Michael Holt after Echo Kellum played him on The CW’s Arrow. The third smartest being in the universe, Mister Terrific is unusually leading the Justice League for Superman, as he’s more commonly associated with the Justice Society, a team of heroes traditionally from World War II, but who you may remember from Black Adam. Gathegi is no stranger to comic book movies, having played the constantly adapting mutant Darwin in X-Men: First Class, but you may also recognize him from his recurring role on Apple TV+’s For All Mankind.
Anthony Carrigan (Rex Mason/Metamorpho)
Metamorpho, the Element Man, has long been a fan-favorite character, but he’s never made the leap to the big screen until now. For his debut outing, he’ll be portrayed by one of the most recognizable character actors of our era, Anthony Carrigan. You almost certainly remember him as the scheming-yet-clueless Noho Hank from Barry, but he also dipped into the DC Universe as the serial killer Zsasz on Gotham. He also portrayed the evil time-traveling robot Dennis Caleb McCoy in 2020’s Bill & Ted Face the Music. Most recently, he appeared as Griff in Death of a Unicorn.
Nathan Fillion (Guy Gardner/Green Lantern)
Nathan Fillion might be the most recognizable member of Superman’s cast, though you would be forgiven for not being able to look past his incredibly loud bowl cut. For nerd culture, Fillion’s played some of the greats and is perhaps best known as Captain Mal Reynolds on the sci-fi adventure series Firefly and its film spin-off, Serenity. For fans of more grounded dramas, you may remember him as Richard Castle on Castle, and most recently, as John Nolan on The Rookie. For Superman, he portrays the first big screen Green Lantern since Ryan Reynolds’ flopped Green Lantern film and is expected to tie into the upcoming Lanterns series.
Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl)
You’re not seeing things; that is indeed The Last of Us’ latest star, Isabela Merced, appearing as Hawkgirl in the Superman trailer. Merced has currently been winning hearts and minds as Ellie’s love interest, Dina, but she’s also been quietly making a name for herself for years. Merced has appeared in a number of roles over the years, but some of her most loyal fans may recognize her as Dora the Explorer from the live-action Dora and the Lost City of Gold. If you prefer your movies a little more violent, she also appeared in 2024’s horror flick Alien: Romulus.
Frank Grillo (Rick Flag Sr.)
For fans of comic book characters, Frank Grillo first made waves appearing as the S.H.I.E.L.D. traitor Brock Rumlow in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a role he reprised briefly and evolved into the supervillain Crossbones in its sequel, Captain America: Civil War. Grillo was unhappy with the direction of his MCU character, and now he jumps to the DCU as Rick Flag Sr, the father of Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag, who was killed in Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Grillo will also reprise the role for Peacemaker, coming to blows with the man who killed his son.
Maria Gabriela de Faria (Angela Spica/The Engineer)
It’s exciting for fans to see The Engineer make their debut on film, as it’s the first character from fan-favorite team The Authority to make the leap to live-action. It’s exciting for Maria Gabriela de Faria, too, who will be playing the role and is expected to reprise it for the live-action The Authority film that DC Studios reportedly has in the works. De Faria has a long career in Spanish-language television, but started appearing in English-language projects such as Deadly Class in 2019. Since then, she’s appeared in a number of films and TV shows, including recurring roles on comedies The Moodys and Animal Control.
Milly Alcock (Kara Zor-El/Supergirl)
Though she hasn’t appeared in the trailers yet, Superman will also see the debut of Australian actress Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl ahead of her own film, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which is currently filming. Alcock reached widespread exposure with her role as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen on HBO’s hit fantasy series House of the Dragon, a prequel series to Game of Thrones. Prior to that, she was a regular fixture of Australian shows like the comedy series Upright. Now, she’s the latest to play Superman’s cousin, a role made most popular by Glee star Melissa Benoist for The CW.
Sean Gunn (Maxwell Lord)
There is perhaps no member of the Superman cast with a more diverse background than Sean Gunn, who will play Justice League financier Maxwell Lord, a role last played by Pedro Pascal for Wonder Woman 1984. Gunn is no stranger to the DCU, having done the motion capture for The Suicide Squad’s most horrifying creation, Weasel. Prior to that, he was best known as Kraglin in the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy films (as well as Rocket Raccoon’s motion capture actor), but diehard fans will always remember him as Kirk Gleason on the beloved quirky CW dramedy Gilmore Girls.
Where To Watch The Cast of 'Superman' in Movies And TV Shows Online
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