Written By Kieran Bugg • U.K. Editor
Henry Cavill‘s Superman replacement, no matter who it is, has huge shoes to fill. In fact, it seems like an impossible task to make people forget the last theatrical Man of Steel. After all, audiences had a difficult time accepting Brandon Routh in 2006’s Superman Returns. People hadn’t gotten over Christopher Reeve’s iconic Superman.
Certainly, Henry Cavill experienced that, too, with 2013’s Man of Steel, especially with the older crowd who loved Reeve in his prime.
The rumored list of Henry Cavill’s successors continues to grow. But do any of them have the right stuff for writer/director James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy?
Superman: Legacy’s ongoing cast search seems to be closing in on who to expect as the silver-screen Kal-El after Henry Cavill. Development on Gunn’s DCU is already well underway with Superman: Legacy scheduled to be the first major theatrical release. Gunn confirmed that pre-production on the upcoming reboot commenced back in April with filming set to begin in early 2024.
Henry Cavill’s Superman Replacement Has Huge Shoes To Fill
Image: Warner Bros. Discovery
The front runner for is rising star David Corenswet. Corenswet looks like a cross between Henry Cavill and a young Tom Welling from Smallville. Corenswet is known for his role in the 2022 slasher film Pearl. But fans are still understandably heartbroken over the removal of Henry Cavill after his Black Adam cameo.
After all, Cavill only just announced his return as Superman after five years of waiting before his shocking departure. Plus, Cavill’s dedication and love for the classic superhero left many feeling that he’d not yet reached his full potential. Nonetheless, there’s already considerable excitement for Corenswet to take on the part should he end up being cast.
He’s already convinced us all that he certainly has the look for Superman. Other contenders that are auditioning to portray the titular character includes Jacob Elordi, Tom Brittney, and Andrew Richardson. None of these castings have been finalized yet, meaning that other hopeful candidates can throw their hats into the ring.
A recent report has revealed that another actor has put his name forward to star as the DCU’s Superman. Variety confirmed that The Bold and the Beautiful star Pierson Fodé recently sent a self-tape to Gunn.
Furthermore, his self-tape even included footage of the actor’s childhood which featured similarities to Clark Kent’s. Apparently Gunn was impressed with what he saw in Fodé’s performance. As a result, this has made him another potential front runner for the film’s lead character alongside Corenswet.
Henry Cavill’s Superman Replacement Has Huge Shoes to Fill
Image: Facebook
A statement from Variety said:
“I hear that the 31-year-old actor could be in the running for the coveted role. Sources tell me that Fodé sent in a self-tape, which included a montage of footage showing his very Clark Kent-like childhood on a farm in the small town of Moses Lake, Wash. I’m told Gunn liked what he saw.”
Very promising as he already has an established connection with the character’s origin story. It turns out that Pierson Fodé is no stranger to the DC Universe. The actor previously appeared in the fifth season of the CW’s Supergirl TV series.
He briefly portrayed the petty transphobic criminal Gregory Bauer who was swiftly defeated by Nicole Maines’ Dreamer.
It seems he has hopes to make a comeback to DC as a more heroic character. Undoubtedly there’s no one more heroic in the DC Universe than the big blue Boy Scout. We likely won’t find out who Gunn and Warner Bros. Discovery decides on until San Diego Comic-Con at the earliest. Should these casting prove to be accurate, it seems that the search for the new Superman is nearing the end.
It’s just a matter of which actor will be the first to cross the finish line. On the other hand, it still doesn’t end there. That person has to win over those who only want to see Cavill back.