Who should be the next Superman?
Now that James Gunn has unveiled Chapter One of DC's massive reboot, the big question remains, who will don the red cape in 2025's Superman: Legacy
Film Features Superman
DC Studios co-honchos James Gunn and Peter Safran have finally unveiled Chapter One of their long awaited reboot of the DC Universe. Now speculation turns to who’ll take the coveted lead role when Superman: Legacy, which Gunn is writing but may or may not direct, gets underway. Safran says the film, slated for release on July 11, 2025, is “not an origins story. It focuses on Superman’s balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He’s kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.”
During Tuesday’s announcement, Gunn noted that he didn’t fire previous Superman Henry Cavill despite his recent mid-credits cameo in Black Adam. But he did drive a final Kryptonian dagger into the idea of Cavill returning by saying, “this Superman is not Henry.” Now the question, of course, becomes, “then whose Superman is it?” It’s a crucial casting decision since Safran admitted that the new Superman film will mark “the start of the DCU.”
In mid-January, Gunn shot down the fan-driven notion that red-hot Euphoria star Jacob Elordi might step into the role. So while we wait to learn who’ll be the linchpin for “Gods and Monsters,” the 10 film and TV projects that collectively comprise the first part of Chapter One, here are some options, in alphabetical order. These take into account a previous Gunn tweet in which he said the next Superman movie will focus “on an earlier part of Superman’s life.”
This article originally published on January 18, 2023.
191 Comments
It should be Jon Hamm, and it should be an adaptation of Kingdom Come.
The whole point of rebooting Cavill is that they want a younger Superman
I suspect sarcastro7 both knows this and does not care.
You suspect correctly.
Jon Hamm is young at heart, you ageist bastard.
Exactly, America hates old people. That’s why we invented Florida.
And Arizona. You’d think between the gators and the scorpions we’d be done with old folks but those boomers have tamed those beast and refuse to die
Arizona isn’t that bad, though. It’s hot but not humid. I could see myself retiring to Arizona if only it had better transit options (Phoenix has a light rail system but it’s pretty sparse as of yet). I couldn’t stand to live in Florida, though. The humidity! And the bugs! And the politics! (although Arizona traditionally isn’t great in that regard either, but they did at least elect some Democrats this time around).
Florida is the counterpoint to the Pat Benatar song “Hell is for Children.”
“Hellderly for the elderly”?
Thank you for being a commenter!
They are wrong to want this.
jeez cavill isnt even that old, im not interested in gen z superman.
I bet the actor will be about 30, so not gen z.
Lex Luther has hijacked the world’s supply of avocado toast! Can Gen-Z Superman save the toast AND find a reasonable mortgage rate? Tune in to find out!
In Kingdom Come, hes an older superman he has grey in his hair.
I said what I said!
Third base?
Jon Hamm has said for years that he’s too old, but this would be a great way to do it. Joker set a precedent for Elseworlds style movies that aren’t part of the main continuity. Who would be Batman, Wonder Woman, etc.?
Michael Keaton and Lynda Carter.
That’s a great answer. Points if Henry Cavill plays the older Billy Batson. The Rock as Magog, or possibly some disgruntled former Marvel actor as a tongue in cheek dis at modern heroes.
When a friend and I had been having this exact discussion recently (right after the Cavill replacement announcement), my suggestion was Patrick Warburton for Aged Billy Batson.I hadn’t thought ahead about Magog, but yeah, The Rock could work. Actually from the tiny bits we’ve seen of him in the Guardians 3 trailer, Will Poulter strikes me as a good fit there too. Ooh, or for extra fun stunt casting, Antony Starr. Actually now that’s my pick.
Warburton’s almost the same age as John Hamm, so I don’t know if that totally works. They could just get Zachary Levi and call it a day.It would be fun if there’s a flashback to Magog killing the Jared Leto Joker. Just put that nail in the coffin.
Sure, but just look at these:
http://t1.gstatic.com/licensed-image?q=tbn:ANd9GcRASw9f1q7zcaM5_rni1b7w1XNfOB1UclBTPYP1RGbOOh7PyrIxRjy8IQlNh5uO2cRj-tw06WcnQy5TjnA
I definitely see it, but the ages just don’t match up.
or Superman in the 1950s/1960s.
MEGIVE ME THE MONEY
I second this.
Gonna need to see your jaw line. If it ain’t square then get the hell out of my office!
Go back to the original. Kids wanna see George Reeves.
I keep telling you: he’s 109-years-old, and he’s dead.
How about the other former Superman Reeves (by an amazing coincidence unrelated to the first)? Also dead? Darn.
Reeveses all the way down. Superman Keanu next.
Christopher REEVE. Though it’s true he only gets third billing on the poster.
So I see that he’s a hard bargain, I respect that.
Then have Sam Raimi or Wes Craven direct.
Superman: The Return! From the Dead!
So Bruce Campbell…
Granted…
That doesn’t fit any Superman criteria, for sure
So do “Funeral for a Friend” first.
Can’t he be both? Oh, he is?
Ben Affleck played a pretty good George Reeves in Hollywoodland, which would almost bring this full circle.
Idris Elba. Tom Hardy. Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Lashana Lynch. Let’s just do this all over again.
Taylor-Johnson! That’s the name I was trying to think of! I was going “Heart-hands Guy, who should NOT be Bond.” He and his heart-hands might could be Superman.
I have spoken.
I’ll say this. The next Bond should go with a lighter approach in general. Love Craig’s broodiness but it’s played out now. ATJ has no particular sense of edge or danger, but maybe that’s because he’s the Roger Moore of his time and maybe that’s what we need now. Maybe. I said that.
He was much livelier and, idk, less predictable in Bullet Train than in anything else I’ve ever seen him in.
I don’t think you’ll get a whole lot of pushback on that. Until Craig (and maybe Dalton), most every Bond pic had him cool and in control even when it looked like the wheels were coming off. They were like the Ocean’s of spy films.
Me, obviously. No one would expect it.
Columbo would.
“Oh, just one more question…” *fires laser beams from eyes*
“What’s that? Up in the sky? Faster than a rumpled trench coat! More powerful than that weird little hooptie-ass Peugeot! Able to act confused and stammering while still asking all the penetrating questions!”
Pretty bland fancasting
Blandcasting?
Wanking?
In that case: Sir Patrick Stewart.
It doesn’t matter who they cast, Superman is a flat out boring character.
I don’t disagree with you at surface level, but then again, I always kinda thought the same thing about Captain America and between the writing and the casting, they fucking nailed it. No reason they couldn’t do something similar/interesting with Clark, too.
They nailed it so much there was no longer a need for a Superman. Evans was perfect casting the way Christopher Reeve was back in the day and filled the same shoes culturally.
No reason they couldn’t do something similar/interesting with Clark, too.It’s the DC film division.
Eh disagree. Plenty of good Superman stories. The Justice League episode “Hereafter” is my single favorite episode of the DCAU and it’s a Superman story that both shows how important he is to the world and his resiliance in the face of adversity.
He really isn’t if you tell an interesting story with him. Superman wins every fight, so making him fight all the time is boring. Taking inspiration from something like All Star Superman and telling a story about Superman and his humanity is far more interesting. I’m not sure we will ever see that done in a Hollywood movie again since Superman Returns bombed
theres no boring characters only bad writers.
That’s a very appropriate username considering the X-men movies.
He’s a hard character to write, but its not like they don’t have thousands of stories to draw inspiration from. There have been brilliant Superman stories in the comics by Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, Jason Aaron, etc.
Bam Margera IS Superman!
How is Batman then not boring? Cuz edginess? He is just as predictable as Supes.
Based on the classic black-haired, chiseled chin ‘Superman’ look, the Novogratz kid fits the bill. Haven’t seen him act though.
Beck Bennett. He’ll be more interesting and entertaining than a lot of these other options.
Regardless of who is cast, I feel they should Rasta-fy Superman by 10% or so.And a nice shmear of surfer never hurts.
He should also be proactive and have a totally outrageous paradigm!
I’d say Superman should be louder and angrier, but we already did that with the Snyder films.
So Snoop Dogg or Matthew McConaughey?
Those two are reserved for Firestorm, sorry.
And having him die on the way back to his home planet actually makes narrative sense!
“Yuh mon! Me save ‘de world, after me chill!”
This Superman is bu-zay!
I think they should cast that Henry Cavill guy. He’s the spitting image of the character, and physically you couldn’t hope for anyone better.(But for real I hate like 95% of these suggestions and while I really respect Gunn basically breaking free from the Snyder movies, it’s a bummer that they had such a good person in the role and he’s not gonna get another shot. That said, if they do choose to go with a newcomer and they want to stay close to the way he looks on the page, the Novogratz dude is by far the closest. I wouldn’t be mad at Michael B. Jordan giving it a different spin, though.)
Most of these guys weigh less than 180 lbs.Clark Kent is a corn-fed Kansas boy with a square jaw, not a whispy theatre kid.The guys who are bigger look like second-tier Bachelorette contestants.Joshua Orpin, who plays Superboy on Titans, is a much better visual match for Superman.
No disrespect to Austin Butler, who is a fine actor, but as soon as I saw his picture in the header I knew this list was going to irritate me.
Their current build doesn’t really matter. Once they’re cast in the role, the studio unleashes its army of nutritionists and personal trainers and steroid injectors. Christopher Reeve was actually quite slender when originally cast in the role. The guy just needs to be tall and have a square jaw, and they can bulk him up before shooting starts.
That’s true…to a point. The issue is that you can only go so far before things start to look weird. Otherwise, you end up with jaw implants like Kumail Nanjiani (confirmed) or Zach Efron (maybe).Being a big guy isn’t just about muscles; you need the skeletal structure as well. This sounds silly, but you need a big skull to portray Superman. Most of the guys suggested by this article have great bone structure, but they have slight features.Google “Alex Ross Superman” for a photo-realistic depiction. For what it’s worth, the character’s build matters to the story. Much of Superman’s character is drawn from self-imposed constraints on the use of physical force.
John Barrowman fits that bill. He’s too old now, of course, but he’s a big, square-headed Scottish lad. The most surprising thing about him when I met him is how large he is. He’s tall-ish, sure, but he’s also big-framed and looks like a bet between him and a brick wall would be even money.
Where is it confirmed that Nanjiani got jaw implants? I just did some googling and just found a bunch of speculation. And I understood that Efron’s jaw had to be reconstructed following a terrible accident, so the reconstruction might have involved implants but that’s hardly a vanity thing.As for the character’s self-imposed constraints on the use of force, wouldn’t that be more to do with the fact that his strength was enormous due to the Earth’s sun, not because of his build?
He’s just been doing face exercises, like Peacemaker!!!But yeah, Nanjiani just looks like a guy who lost all of his cheek fat.
yeah this is weirdly backwards. efron DID have reconstructive surgery because he fell and smashed his face, and kumail seems to have just HGH gnawed his chin into oblivion.
Jay Leno IS Superman!
I don’t know that corn is very much linked to growing muscles, or even growing particularly tall. Plus isn’t his deal that’s just strong because of the yellow sun of the earth? He’d be the same strong whether he weighed 210 lbs or 150 lbs.
Film is a visual medium, mate.It’s not about the comic-science – it’s the visual dynamic of a large, imposing, gentle man.
I wonder if Superman even needs food to survive. Imagine all the homeless people he could have helped…
Michael B Jordan would be good as kryptonian, even one who is called Superman. But not Clark Kent Superman. At this point the race swapping is done solely to give people wiggle room in case the movie sucks and gets bad reviews. Then they can blame racism.
Especially since there ARE black versions of Superman who are not named Clark Kent. If you need a black superman so badly, there are options.
Half of these cunts look like ai prompts for ‘next superman’
And the other half look like a Grindr search results for twinky boy toy
Pretty sure that’s not how any of that works.
Hoechlin yes, Michael B. Jordan yes, everyone else ranges from pass to hard pass.
Aubrey Plaza
Abandoning Cavill was a mistake that, apparently, only time will tell.
He’s more interesting in Mission: Impossible than as Superman, which tells you how wasted he was in that role.
It’s hard to see how not making even more terrible fucking Superman movies is a bad thing.
There’s only one real answer.Say it with me.Nic FUCKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN’…….
You spelled “Tig” wrong
Glen Powell for Cyclops.Of these, Novogratz looks most like the traditional Superman we’re all used to (sans blue eyes). As much as I wouldn’t mind Michael B. Jordan, the last time he played a race-bent character in a comic book movie, it was widely derided, film quality notwithstanding. I doubt he wants to be put in that position again.
This is sure a list of random people.
I’m a big fan of Nicholas Hoult but I can’t see him as Superman. He’s tall, but he’s way too lean.
That’s perfect. I always liked the idea of an unassuming, alien, Superman. Cast someone like Wilem Dafoe. All weird looking so people know he’s an alien like in Flashpoint.
I never thought I’d see Superman by way of Aeon Flux.
He’s a sickly superman whos been raised in a US govt lab.
That is a Superman that never got to be Super because the government locked him up under red sun lamps for most of his life. They kept him weak and hidden away, even when all the other super beings were fighting each other and wrecking humanity. Its been a while since I saw the Flashpoint animated movie but I think it was because his ship landed in the middle of a city and wrecked it rather than landing safely near the Kents.
I think I’ve just seen him in too many smarmy roles to believe him as Supes. I’d keep expecting him to shout “Huzzah!” and then heat-vision a bear.
And you don’t want to see that why, exactly?
… I withdraw my objection.
oh my god someone with peter’s personality, that had super powers would be completely insane. Id love to see that.
they could whip him into shape. noone imagined Keanu Reeves as an action star before Point Break.
To me the real issue is can he play a convincing american? Most british actors can, though.
I vote Tilda Swinton.
Me too, but who do you think should play Superman?
Aubrey Plaza.
Half the guys on this list look like Tilda Swinton.
Tig Notaro
Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Tights And A Cape
But hire Chris D’elia first so that we can watch him get fired THEN replaced by Notaro.
Second Tig Notaro! Ready and willing to watch 48% of the US spontaneously combust from white hot nuclear rage.
Instead of casting someone who can be Superman, they should cast someone who can be Clark Kent.Clark Kent should be look like the average guy with glass. Look harmless and weak and nobody unless they close to him will notice.Christopher Reeves surprisingly can look a weak guy despite his height thanks to the oversize coat.Brandon Routh fit Clark Kent well but look less superhero when he became Superman.
Cavill always look like a superhero type even when he play Clark Kent (he’s a hunk)
This is the correct answer. Cast Clark Kent and see if they guy can be Superman. The thing with modern Clark, in comics, is that they never hide that he’s still a big man. It’s just that he’s a big clumsy farm boy. Hate to keep repeating myself but look at All Star Superman. There is a great issue where Clark is interviewing Alex Luther in prison and Lex is like “You know Kent, if you actually stood up straight and hit the gym you could be as handsome as Superman but you are to pathetic. “. Clark is just that good of an actor
Well his version of Superman never pretended to be a nerd, as Clark.
I can’t get past imaging the furor if they cast the part with someone other than a beefy white guy. Tucker Carlson would do an entire week of shows about how casting Jordan was the end of Western civilization.
I think we’re past worrying about what Tucker Carlson will whine about.
Oh, I’m not worried about Tucker’s consternation. I look forward to it.
I mean in less than a year he’s been mad about what M&M’s look like twice. He’s doing bit that Stephen Colbert would have passed on back in the days of the Colbert Report because they are too unrealistic for a conservative news host to be actually mad about. I’d like to think his staff intentional puts this shit in front of him(I don’t think Tucker ever has an original thought, he just read a teleprompter) to make him look like a fools but his audience eats this shit up.
It would be pathetic pandering to cast Jordan though. Last time they cast that motherfucker as a white superhero the movie sucked balls.
Unless it’s Dean Cain.
Clark Kent should be look like the average guy with glass. Look harmless and weak and nobody unless they close to him will notice.Well, the dude was raised on a farm doing all the requisite farm stuff, it makes sense that he’d have that “corn-fed Nebraska (or Kansas)“ bulk to him. Have you been to those rural farm areas? You’ve got middle schoolers who are 6’4 250lbs of muscle. Though the DCAU Clark was kind of hilarious due to the exaggerated animation style. He’s fucking enormous, his shoulders are almost as wide as Lois is tall.Besides that, Clark’s never been portrayed as especially weak, just kind of a clumsy dork. I seem to remember some early-ish Superman comics where he makes a point to have a bunch of weights in Clark’s apartment in order to justify why Clark Kent would have the same physique as Superman. Christopher Reeve was great because he changed his whole persona, his voice, his mannerisms, the way he stood (and the way he parted his hair), to the point you could legitimately believe that someone wouldn’t recognize him as the same person. Brandon Routh didn’t have that flexibility (the voice, especially), but they shifted it so that his Clark was the mild-mannered guy everyone forgets about the minute he leaves the room. No one thinks he could be Superman because no one thinks about Clark Kent at all. Unfortunately, Cavill never really got a chance to play “Clark Kent” the secret identity. Snyder did not give a single solitary fuck about that side of the character. Though in BvS it’s unintentionally hilarious that Perry White keeps calling this 6’1, 200lb deep-voiced, chiseled Greek God looking dude a nerd.
Call me crazy, but why does Superman even need to be remotely “built” at all? If the conceit is that he’s super-strong because of the different effects of the yellow sun, why not just have him be an average-looking dude? Maybe leaning towards generally fit, but not shredded looking.
Ie, just find Christopher Reeves again.
I want them to play with the whole “no one can tell Clark is Superman when he’s wearing glasses” thing by casting two different actors. As Superman, whichever buff hunk can do the job. As Clark? Danny de Vito in specs.
other way around and I’m sold
Throw in an Anna Kendrick “cleavage selfie” (why does it need quote marks?) and I’m sold!
There was a comic where it revealed that those who spend a lot of time around Clark DID notice he was Superman, but just didn’t say anything due to being polite.
I would like that to be brought back to the movies.
He’s probably a nice person, but has there ever been a name more douchebaggy than “Chase Stokes”. That’s the name of every guy your ex-girlfriend dated after you.
I humbly submit: Finn Wolfhard.
“Finn Wolfhard” sounds like a character from the AO3 furry subcategory.
I’m sure the kid didn’t name himself, but he does sound like his own porn parody.
Wow that big question mark and may be trending topic. Of course who is the next superman, superman movie is also awsome and slot terpercaya is good movie to influence many people
Not going to happen but get Hoelchin and Tuloch
That had to be one of the worst casting lists I’ve ever seen. The closest to Superman might be Austin Butler or that last model dude, but no, they’re all bad choices. Barry Keoghan??? He’s the Joker. Just stop right there. Step away from the keyboard.
Whomever it is needs to play well against Karen Gillan, who would kill it as Lois Lane.
No one. Stop making dumb Superman movies that have NEVER ONCE lived up to Richard Donner’s.
Hoult or Corenswet. You need a Kansas boy, a geeky journalist that doesn’t want to draw attention to himself. See Paul Rudd or Eric Stonestreet.But after reading the comments I can’t take Tog Notaro out of my mind.
This goes along with my belief that Tig should be in everything.
Screw Tig I am more interested in this Tog character.
Any answer except Danny Devito is wrong.
I feel like most of these were picked for their jawline more than whether they’d be good as Superman. I think Dacre would be the most interesting though, he’s kinda got the look of a golden age superhero more than a modern day one, but he obviously can do a smoldering intensity as well. I think the next Superman should be more dynamic than the last few attempts, I think he’d pull that off in a more interesting way than the rest of these guys.
Who should be the next Superman?How about “no one.” Here’s a challenge for the DCU: make movies about any of your other characters, instead of ones that have been endlessly recycled for decades.
I mean, they really haven’t. Cavill was practically peripheral in the DCEU despite launching it. After having the role for a decade, he’s in less than Ezra Miller’s Flash. Before that they had Routh in one solo film. I think it’s high time to actually make Superman a priority, instead of feaux-deconstructing him or making a sequel to a film from 30 years ago
Seriously.Superman was only the shit before any other superheroes existed.
Way to take the brief seriously guys. Just… bravo.
Spaghetti Joe
Donald Glover, obviously.
this is one of the butt ugliest fan cast compilations I’ve ever seendid all these white dudes have siblings for parents?
It may be time for Australia to tap their Strategic Hemsworth Reserves.
Shoot, give me some too.
I’m not interested in an origin story again, year-one type stuff. Just have the story be with Superman already having begun.
It sounds like the vibe will be “Young Clark Kent, working at the Planet and figuring out how to Superman.”Which I dig.
Saying Will Poulter is like saying Jimmy Olsen would make a great Superman
He’d actually be a pretty great Jimmy!But yeah. It’s important that he’s a capital-M Man, visually speaking.A lot of these guy are giving Adam Brody/John Krasinski/Zach Levi “boyish good looks” vibes.
I would not have guessed after We’re the Millers that Poulter would end up looking like this as an adult.
Let’s Name Some Guys
Just dont pander and make Clark Kent black. When we get a white “Black Panther” we can discuss it. Until then, you want a black superman? Tangent Superman says “hello!”
These are all horrible suggestions. Most of these actors are under 6 foot and look nothing like Clark Kent. Quit trying to just be a clickbait site and actually offer some real suggestions. The writer of this article should be embarassed.
Okay get a grip.
I agree with Tyler Hoechlin. He is great on ‘’Superman and Lois”. But the powers that be lame insist they can’t take a TV perosn and make him a movie person.Look what happened with The Flash. I won’t even repeat the name of that vile, disgusting person they cast for the film.So why not Grant Gustin? Barry Allen was never a brooding character, but dickheads at the DCCU (or whatever they call it) want to make everybody brooding, which evw Marvel does not do.Oh well, they’ll nevar lisetn the real fans anyway.
“Barry Allen was never a brooding character, but dickheads at the DCCU (or whatever they call it) want to make everybody brooding, which evw Marvel does not do.”
So, you’ve presumably seen The Flash as portrayed by the vile, disgusting person, and the conclusion you came to after watching his odd, goofy portrayal is that he’s “brooding”?
Jesus…
The quote about moving away from dark and brooding is spot-on. Superman is supposed to be fun.
Wolfgang is the best on this list. Honestly quite disappointed by this one. Gunn has specifically said he’s an early beat reporter, so why this author chose trendy 30somethings is a mystery to me.
“who’ll be the linchpin for “Gods and Monsters,””Are Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser available?
Should it be . . . you!?
Barry Keoghan? Is that a joke? That dude is one the weirdest creepiest looking dudes.
I would like a Black Mirror implant to block out all this shit content. Kill it off. Go dark on this for another 30 years PLEASE.
Wil Keenan from Tromeo and Juliet. I’m going to keep saying this until that Gunn coward explains why not.
Half of these names have to be a joke. I love Barry Keoghan but he doesn’t begin to look the part. Also, they should just freaking re-hire Cavill. Also make a Man from UNCLE sequel you cowards!
You’re confusing “sensible decision-making” with “cowardice.”
Michael B. Jordan has become the new Idris Elba. i.e. very likeable black actor that white bloggers on entertainment sites suggest for every role ever. He’ll be suggested for Bond any day now.
I don’t think most of these guys will work if we believe the given reasoning that they parted ways with Cavill because Gunn wants to start his Superman arc with a younger Superman. Cavill isn’t exactly old at 39 so I assume that means they really want to start the character more in his late twenties/very early thirties… given the movie is still 2 years away from release I’m guessing anyone currently over the age of 33 is out.
You lost me at “Start slideshow”, but I’ll say this: Mend whatever fences have been broken and just go with Cavill.