Screen Rant visited the set of Superman in 2024, and here are the biggest reveals about the DCU movie. James Gunn’s Superman movie is shaping up to be one of the biggest releases of 2025. Not only is it a popular comic book brand, but it serves as the first true installment of the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.
This, combined with the excellent marketing for Superman, has led to the upcoming DC movie being one of the most anticipated of the year. Therefore, audiences are seeking any coveted information they can find to see what lies in store for the newest iteration of the Man of Steel and the rest of Superman‘s cast of characters.
Thankfully, Screen Rant got the chance to speak to the actors playing these characters during a 2024 visit to the set of Superman. From interviews with the likes of David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, and James Gunn himself, plenty was revealed about Superman, all while keeping the most important spoilers hidden to preserve the upcoming theatrical experience.
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David Corenswet Doesn’t Struggle With The Responsibility Of Being Superman
Corenswet Trusts The Script
The first batch of reveals comes from Corenswet, the man responsible for bringing the new DCU Superman to life. However, Corenswet revealed this responsibility is not overly crippling as it might be to others. The leading man insisted that dwelling too much on responsibility gets in the way of other important facets of the filmmaking process.
Rather than stressing over what this responsibility means on a broader level, Corenswet prefers to trust in James Gunn’s script, turn up, have fun, be a good scene partner to his costars, and trust that the work he puts in will speak for itself.
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Superman Begins With The Character At His Lowest Point
To Enable The Rise Of The DCU’s Hero
Concerning story beats, Corenswet was as coy with spoilers as anyone. That said, he did reveal that Superman begins with the character at a low point. The scene of him bloodied and battered in the snow from Superman‘s many trailers comes after a difficult fight where he doesn’t lose, but doesn’t win. From there, Superman has “everywhere to go.”
Corenswet insisted that the fight scene at the beginning of the movie is suitably epic. Nonetheless, it sets Kal-El on his character arc to overcome the adversity he faces in the name of goodness.
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David Corenswet Was More Excited To Play Clark Kent Than Superman
One Half Of The Character Was More Appealing Than The Other
Naturally, Corenswet is not only bringing Superman to life, but also Clark Kent. Interestingly, the actor prefers the latter to the former. Corenswet insisted that there is simply more to do with Clark from an acting perspective, especially considering he has the big secret of his superhero alter ego. When diving into the comics, it was Clark whom Corenswet focused on.
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David Corenswet Started Training For Superman During The 2023 Writers’ Strike
The Actor Had Time To Kill
Most superhero actors are asked about their diets and training regimens when portraying physical powerhouses like Superman or Thor. For Corenswet, his training regime began during the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Rather than wait around for the strikes to end, Corenswet got a head start and began building himself to be the Man of Steel.
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All-Star Superman Inspired The “Gentle Nerdiness” Of The DCU’s Superman
Which Has Shone Through In The Trailers
It has been clear that DC’s All-Star Superman comic books have been the primary inspiration for 2025’s Superman. Corenswet was alerted to this by Gunn shortly after casting, leading the actor to do his research. In terms of the biggest pullouts, Corenswet found the basis of Superman’s “gentle nerdiness” in these books, a trait prevalent in Superman’s trailers.
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Superman Won’t Include As Much Of Mr. Terrific’s Backstory
To Keep The Focus On The тιтular Hero
Many other DC heroes will debut in Superman, one of whom is Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific. When asked about the extent of his role, Gathegi insisted Superman would not feature much of the comic book backstory the character has. Gathegi stated that “We’re sort of building our own Mr. Terrific for the DCU and we’re taking liberties.”
The reason for this is likely to keep the story of Superman focused on, well, Superman. That way, Mr. Terrific’s backstory can be shelved for another DCU project in the future.
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Superman & Mr. Terrific’s Relationship Is Complex In The DCU
The Characters See Each Other Differently
Gathegi also commented on the dynamic between Superman and Mr. Terrific. Gathegi revealed that “Superman thinks Mr. Terrific is his BFF,” but that this isn’t necessarily true. Mr. Terffiic was described as a brother to Superman in the sense that both fight crime and are heroes, but the former thinks the latter is somewhat of a dork.
Superman is the embodiment of good in Gathegi’s eyes, but Terrific has demons that sometimes come out, causing him to be a little grumpier…
Gathegi comments that Superman is a boy scout, while Mr. Terrific has more complexity to him. Superman is the embodiment of good in Gathegi’s eyes, but Terrific has demons that sometimes come out, causing him to be a little grumpier than his DCU ally.
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Lex Luthor & Mr. Terrific Have Their Own Special DCU Rivalry In Superman
The Battle Of The Brains
Another reveal about Superman from Gathegi was his character’s dynamic with Lex Luthor. Both characters are considered some of the smartest members of the DC Universe, leading a journalist on the set visit to ask if this plays out at all during Superman. Gathegi teases that there is a “battle of brains,” and the film will reveal who wins.
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Mr. Terrific Connects To All Of Superman’s Major Heroes
Including Guy Gardner & Hawkgirl
The DCU’s Justice League may be getting its first iteration in Superman via the Justice Gang. This team, ᴀssembled by Maxwell Lord, consists of a few already-functioning DCU heroes:
- A Green Lantern named Guy Gardner
- Hawkgirl, aka Kendra Saunders
- Mr. Terrific, aka Michael Holt
As one of the team’s members, Gathegi insists that he connects all of Superman‘s big heroes in the film. Gathegi joked that “I think I interact with all of the major characters in this film. I think that might be a lie, but let’s just say that. Make my role seem bigger than it is.”
Based on a later reveal from James Gunn himself, though, Mr. Terrific may have a strong link to many characters, and Gathegi’s joke may turn out to be true after all.
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Edi Gathegi Hopes The DCU’s Future Expands On Mr. Terrific
The Sky Is The Limit
When talking about Mr. Terrific’s potential future in the DCU, Gathegi explained that he is a big fan of James Gunn and would feel privileged to pop up wherever he is needed. Moreover, though, Gathegi states that Superman “makes a statement” with his character, so it is his hope that the DCU’s future projects build on that.
