Superman is the first film in the new DC Universe spearheaded by James Gunn and Peter Safran, and was written and directed by none other than Gunn himself. The man who brought Guardians of the Galaxy to the big screen has refreshingly promised to skip the origin story and introduce audiences to a Superman who already has a fair share of friends, enemies, and even animal companions on Earth. Jam-packed with characters, the movie also features Lex Luthor, Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner, and more.
But the heart of the story belongs to David Corenswet’s Superman (trunks and all) and, of course, Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane. It looks as though audiences won’t have to wait too long to see sparks fly between the pair either, as trailers have already established their relationship. One scene in which Lois interviews Clark Kent even serves as a nod to an iconic scene from a prior Superman movie.
ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan interviewed David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan about joining the DCU as some of its most consequential characters. The actors discuss carrying on the legacy of past Superman movies and how they brought a budding romance between Clark Kent and Lois Lane to the screen. Plus, Corenswet revealed why he believes Star Wars is an apt comparison for his Superman film and the DCU as a whole.
Why James Gunn’s DCU Is Like Star Wars
“You’re Just Thrown Into The Middle of This Universe”
Superman star David Corenswet is known to be a big fan of Star Wars, which made a number of aspects of his role in the movie exciting for the actor, beginning with a conversation with James Gunn. “James has described this new DCU as feeling a little more like the Star Wars universe,” Corenswet shared, “in the sense that it’s not our world, it’s an alternate world, and it’s not an origin story. You’re just thrown into the middle of this universe, and you learn about it as you go.”
Plus, the star added, “The music is John Williams, which is huge.”
The music for Superman was written by composers John Murphy and David Fleming, but Fleming revealed in an interview with Filmfare.com that Williams’ iconic Superman theme would make its way into the score.
“A huge part of why Star Wars has stuck in my mind for so many years is the music,” Corenswet said, “and John Williams’ other music has been a way that I’ve expanded out to other great films and [been] a reason that I love the other films that he scored. The most surreal thing about being in this film is now I am in a film that has John Williams theme underneath it. That’s probably the biggest ‘pinch me’ moment for me in this whole thing, and it’s a fun thing to nerd out about.”
David Corenswet & Rachel Brosnahan Reveal A Superman Callback
One Scene Is Pivotal To Kal-El’s Relationship With Lois Lane
As revealed in trailers, Superman will feature Lois Lane interviewing Kal-El as Superman. She already knows that Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same, but that doesn’t keep the exchange from becoming heated. The scene is also reminiscent of another Lois and Kal-El interview from 1978’s Superman: The Movie. “It’s certainly in the spirit of that great iconic scene,” Corenswet acknowledged, adding, “I think that scene from the [Richard] Donner movie is, for many people, the scene that they remember the most.”
“For us,” the actor added, “we got to go further [and] deeper, just because the circumstances are further along in [terms of] the relationship. You don’t have that block of Lois not knowing Superman’s idenтιтy. The cards are all on the table.”
This brings new dimensions to such an interview scene, which Corenswet revealed to be twofold: “The flirtation and the romance and the banter is really all a means to a deeper end, which is A. ‘What the hell are you doing? Do you know what you’re doing? Are you sure you’ve thought this through?’ and B. ‘Are we sure this isn’t us breaking up? … Did you just break up with me?’”
Rachel Brosnahan weighed in as well, saying, “I think it starts with us being like, ‘This’ll be fun, and this will end in a very different part of the apartment.’’ But things go off the rails which, in Brosnahan’s words, “feels so real–and that’s one of the things that was so fun to play about it.”
Also check out our interview with Superman writer/director James Gunn.
Superman hits theaters on July 11.
