DC Confirms David Corenswet’s Superman Has 1 Big Advantage Over Henry Cavill

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A recently released Superman art book highlights a key difference between David Corenswet’s portrayal of the hero and Henry Cavill’s. Cavill played Superman in three major films within the DC Extended Universe before Corenswet took on the role for James Gunn’s upcoming 2025 DC Universe reboot. Although both actors played the same character from the comics, their interpretations of Superman weren’t identical.

A new book, Superman: The Art and Making of the Film, reveals that David Corenswet’s Superman has already been to multiple planets within the DC Universe before the 2025 movie begins. According to the film’s production designer, Beth Mickle, Superman keeps a collection of alien species – essentially a “zoo of aliens” – at his Fortress of Solitude. He’s gathered these creatures from different planets for study.

Beth Mickle explained that Superman kept a collection of alien creatures and plants, gathered from different planets, and dedicated time to studying them.

The new Superman, played by David Corenswet, will have more experience with the wider universe than Henry Cavill’s version. Cavill’s Superman hadn’t ventured off Earth when we first saw him in Man of Steel, but Corenswet’s character has already traveled to other worlds and encountered a variety of alien creatures.

David Corenswet’s Superman has a deeper understanding of aliens and other planets than Henry Cavill’s version did. This knowledge will likely be a significant benefit when facing enemies from across the galaxy.

In the 2025 film Superman, there are multiple scenes showcasing Superman’s desire to understand, rather than destroy, alien life. This is particularly evident during a battle with a giant creature, or Kaiju. While fighting, Superman and the Justice League disagree on the best approach, with Superman advocating for capturing the Kaiju so they can study it. He tells Mr. Terrific he wants to “Get it someplace where we can study it.” However, the Justice League ends up killing the creature, leading Superman to express his disappointment, stating, “I was hoping we could capture it and take it to an intergalactic zoo…” This comment may have been a veiled reference to a personal project or facility of his own.

Later in the movie, Superman appears unconcerned when a huge alien flies over Metropolis while the Justice League fights in the distance. He casually tells Lois that it’s “just some dimensional imp,” implying he’s dealt with similar creatures before and trusts the League to manage it on their own.

Unlike the new Superman, Henry Cavill’s version has always been focused on protecting Earth. He only directly experienced the planet Krypton before being sent away. Because of this, when alien villains like Darkseid and Steppenwolf show up, Cavill’s Superman doesn’t know as much about them as the new Superman might.

The movie Superman premiered in theaters on July 11, 2025. James Gunn, a co-head of DC Studios, directed the film, which stars David Corenswet. The cast also includes Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern, and Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl.

Why Superman’s Intergalactic Knowledge Will Be an Asset in Future DCU Films

Superman’s curiosity about the world and other life forms – and his preference for understanding them instead of destroying them – stays true to the character’s peaceful origins in the comics. This approach could also be a strength as the DC Universe evolves in future movies.

The upcoming Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, scheduled for release in 2027, will likely feature Brainiac as a key villain. Brainiac is an alien character from the planet Colu in DC Comics. This could be a situation where Superman’s experience with extraterrestrial life proves valuable, especially since he’ll be working alongside Lex Luthor, who is known to dislike aliens.

The plot of Supergirl features Lobo, an alien bounty hunter arriving on Earth, continuing the trend of extraterrestrial threats facing Kryptonians on their new home. Like Superman, Kara has also travelled to other planets since arriving on Earth, as revealed by her cousin, who jokingly said she “likes to go and party on other planets, planets with red suns.” It’s currently unknown if David Corenswet’s Superman will appear in Supergirl, but if he does, his extensive knowledge of alien worlds could be very helpful to Kara.

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2025-12-18 15:38