Superman: Legacy Cast Contenders Reportedly Revealed, James Gunn Responds

James Gunn has responded to reports that claim Superman: Legacy cast contenders include Nicholas Hoult, David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and more, saying he would never comment on who is or isn’t auditioning and that only one person has been cast in the film so far.

As reported by THR, Corenswet is said to be one of the “top contenders” to play Clark Kent himself, and his acting credits include the projectionist in Pearl and David McDougall in We Own This City. THR’s sources claim he advanced to the screen test stage that looks to take place after Memorial Day or in early June.

Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi was said to have been in the running for Superman, but THR’s sources say he “never submitted himself into the ring.” Tom Brittney and Andrew Richardson were other names that were in the “early mix,” and it’s claimed two other actors who have not been revealed are also in the auditioning phase.

Another actor of note is Nicholas Hoult, who THR says may be up for the role of Lex Luthor. However, Deadline is reporting Hoult is actually up for the role of Kent himself. For those who may not remember, Hoult was a leading candidate to play Batman in Matt Reeves’ The Batman before Robert Pattinson won the role.

Deadline also states its sources claim Gunn is checking with A-list names he’s worked with in the past for the role of Lex Luthor, and that the part has been labeled “Apex,” which could be a reference to the superpowered Apex Lex Luthor from the comics.

There are reportedly a few choices in the running for Lois Lane, and they include Sex Education’s Emma Mackey, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Rachel Brosnahan, Bridgerton’s Phoebe Dynevor, and Scream VI’s Samara Weaving.

Brosnahan was said to have had an “outstanding” audition, but “at 32, may be in the older range for what Gunn is ultimately hoping to achieve, a look at Metropolis heroics via 20-something characters.”

Gunn, who is no stranger to responding directly to these types of reports and rumors on Twitter, responded to these articles with a single Tweet.

For all of you asking, I would never comment on who is or isn’t AUDITIONING for a role. That’s the actor’s business only & isn’t something I’d make public unless they did it first after the fact (like @GlennHowerton or @ZacharyLevi having auditioned for Star-Lord & being top…

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 13, 2023

“For all of you asking, I would never comment on who is or isn’t AUDITIONING for a role,” Gunn wrote. “That’s the actor’s business only & isn’t something I’d make public unless they did it first after the fact (like @GlennHowerton or @ZacharyLevi having auditioned for Star-Lord & being top choices). For now, only one person has been CAST in Superman: Legacy, and it isn’t any of the regular players in the Superman world.”

Gunn also may have added even more questions to the casting situation, as he ended the tweet with a mermaid emoji. Could this mean a new Aquaman has been cast? Could this mean Aquaman actor Jason Momoa has been recast as Lobo in the new film as has been rumored? Or could it mean something else entirely or nothing at all? Only time will tell.

For more, check out the news that Superman: Legacy has entered pre-production, all the lessons James Gunn’s DCU TV could learn from Titans, and why James Gunn has us so excited for Superman: Legacy.

Nicholas Hoult Image Credit: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images

Rachel Brosnahan Image Credit: Bruce Glikas/WireImage

David Corenswet Image Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images

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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.