Calling Hollywood actors David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult “super” feels redundant at this point. Their next move—James Gunn’sSuperman—just makes it official. Embodying good and evil as Clark Kent and Lex Luthor, the duo retrace the steps that brought them to Metropolis for Wonderland’s Summer 25 issue, and the edge of blockbuster stardom.
David Corenswet doesn’t believe in manifestation. But if he did, he’d probably be dangerously good at it. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the 31-year-old casually mentioned he’d love to play Superman. Four years later, he’s doing exactly that—taking on the role in director James Gunn’s much-anticipated DC Universe reboot, landing in cinemas 11th July.
As for fate? That’s his to answer. But the Philadelphia-born actor does look suspiciously like he stepped straight off the pages of a Superman comic. Jet-black curls, a jawline cut from concrete, and cheekbones sharp enough to cause delays at airport security—he might as well be the blueprint. It’s hard to imagine anyone else in the suit. Well, almost.
Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Nicholas Hoult was also in the running. Equally easy on the eyes (those eyes), the British actor followed his gut somewhere a little darker: into the mind of Superman’s most iconic adversary, billionaire genius, Lex Luthor. It tracks. With a talent for making morally slippery characters feel disturbingly charming, Nicholas’ ability to find vulnerability in the villain might just be his own kind of superpower.
It’s April, and the co-stars are in Los Angeles shooting their Wonderland cover. They dip in and out of supercars at super-speed, frolic in lemon orchards, and sink into sun-faded sofas, all to the soundtrack of a camera shutter. Nicholas carries a live-wire wit soaked in sarcasm and enough charisma to set the whole thing alight. David, more introverted by nature, operates with quiet precision—a quicksilver mind and a steady sense of calm. Yin and yang, it seems, both on and off screen.
Neither actor has seen the final cut of the film—rumoured to clock in around the two-hour-twenty mark—and the project remains locked down in franchise-grade secrecy. James’ Superman is expected to be the launchpad for an entirely new DC Universe. What we do know: the trailer’s racked up over 58 million views (the most-watched in DC and Warner Bros. history), there’s a confirmed CGI Krypto the Superdog, Arctic filming locations, whispers of serious aerial stunts, and the looming presence of a towering Kaisu monster.
If Hoult’s filmography is anything to go by—most recently with his career-making hat-trick as the misguided Thomas Hutter in Nosferatu (2024), a chilling neo-Nazi in Justin Kurzel’s The Order (2024), and a morally tangled journalist in Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 (2024), not to mention his sharp turns in The Favourite (2018), The Great (2020–2023), and the pop culture chaos of Skins (2007–2013)—his version of Lex Luthor is likely to be brilliantly unhinged. As for David, who began acting at nine before training at Juilliard, his rise through Ryan Murphy’s The Politician (2019–2020) and Hollywood (2020) signalled a taste for characters with bite. According to Nicholas, he read the script like a surgeon—dissecting Superman’s psychology, wearing the cape not just as costume, but character.
Ahead of the film’s release, the two sit down to talk through the making—and meaning—of Superman’s next chapter. What follows, between dry one-liners, is a conversation about instincts, legacy, and the strange emotional magic of life on set.
Nicholas Hoult: Where were you when you got the call saying you’d landed the part? What were you up to? How did it feel in the moment?
David Corenswet: I was at home in Philadelphia, I was on a break from Twisters. It was the end of June, beginning of July of 2023. I was already on another phone call—it was exciting, full of intrigue and suspense—when I saw an unknown number pop up with a 310 area code.
Left: David wears full look THOM BROWNE. Right: Nicholas wears full look THOM BROWNE; watch JAEGER-LECOULTRE.
NH: And you answered?
DC: And I said, very politely, ‘Uh, pardon me, I think I need to take this phone call.’
NH: Had you been forewarned that maybe you should answer your phone? Because I never answer if there’s an unknown number.
DC: Well, no—I’ve since adopted that practice. I hadn’t been explicitly warned, but we’d just screen-tested for Superman a couple of weeks earlier, so I was hoping I’d hear something one way or another.
NH: The context makes sense. As for why they didn’t cast me [as Superman]—I kept screening ‘no caller ID’ numbers and they didn’t leave a voicemail.
DC: [Laughs, mimicking] ‘Hello David. Yes, you’re our second call. Do you happen to have Nick’s number? We’d love it if you could get in touch—we’ve got something very exciting to tell him!’
Anyway, so I stepped away and answered the phone, and [Superman’s director] James Gunn said, ‘David, it’s James Gunn.’ And I said, ‘Can you prove that?’ Because I was in a suspicious mood.
NH: You really said that?
DC: I really said that.
NH: Did you think someone was pranking you?
DC: Well, I didn’t think that. I never think I’m being pranked. But in the moment, it occurred to me, ‘How am I supposed to know?’ People knew I was screen-testing for Superman, so somebody could’ve pulled the most…
NH: Thinking about it now, what I should’ve done is called you and said, ‘It’s James Gunn, you’ve got the part, we won’t need you for another year. Stay at home, practice, and don’t tell anyone about it.’ Then I should’ve called James and said, ‘Don’t get in touch with David. He doesn’t want to do it. How about me?’
DC: That’s such a Lex move. So that’s where I was, and then I had about three hours to tell around seven people in person before everyone found out.
NH: Who had the biggest and best reaction? Or who were you most excited to tell?
DC: I was able to tell my mom, aunt, uncle, sister, and wife before the news was made public. The last person I got to tell, a few hours after it was available publicly, was my high school theatre teacher, who was the one to convince me to audition for The Juilliard School and is a very close friend. He texted back, ‘I’m doing a radio show for this theatre thing I’m involved with in Philly. I’ll call you back.’
So, when he was done, I called him and asked, ‘How’s it going?’ He replied, ‘Oh, it’s great! I was talking about this and that David, you know how it is…’ I then said, ‘Oh, did you tell them what it feels like to have your high school theatre student playing the next Superman?’
And the phone just went dead. Then he exclaimed—I don’t really remember what he said, but it was a really great phone call.
NH: Um, let me jump to the next question because I’ve had enough of this.
DC: [Laughs] Boring!
NH: Make something up next time! Obviously, you’d thought about playing this role because you auditioned for it and had an idea of what you wanted to do. When the phone call came and it hit you that it was actually happening, was there a moment of, ‘Oh, it’s real now?’ Were you already calm and confident, or did it feel more real all of a sudden? You’ve worked with James, seen the script, but was there a moment of, ‘What now?’ Or had you already felt sure about what you were doing?
DC: No, confidence was definitely not the feeling. I’d compare it to an astronaut who’s been one for a while but finally gets the call they’re going to the moon. You’re thinking, ‘Well, I’ve still got to go to the bloody moon now!’ So, there’s excitement. Actually, my first feeling—and I’ll finally segue this into a question for you—is usually relief when I get a part. It’s rarely excitement or pride, just relief because I know what I’m doing next.
NH: But this was a role that you wanted to play for a long time?
DC: Well, it’s interesting. I’ll tell you here, in the privacy of this intimate aircraft hangar with 30 or 40 of our closest friends…
NH: Fans.
To read the full interview, pre-order the issue now.
Photography by Ryan Pfluger
Styling by Thomas Christos Kikis at The Wall Group
Words by Ella Bardsley
Grooming for Nicholas Jamie Taylor at A-Frame Agency
Grooming for David Kristen Shaw at The Wall Group
Producer Patricia Bilotti
Lighting Tech Nicol Biesek
Photography Assistant Malik Laing
Fashion Assistants Mary Sanner, Kaya Roland
Production Assistant Tiago Correia