‘Superman: Legacy’ Screen Tests Begin With Three Contenders for Clark and Lois, Lex Luthor Shortlist Includes Two Skarsgårds, and More
One of the most heated casting calls of the year took a major step forward this weekend, as James Gunn called in the three main contenders to play Superman and Lois Lane in the upcoming Superman: Legacy. No decision has been made, but The Hollywood Reporter provided us with some details about how it all went down, adding that the final call could be made as soon as this week.
Whether they are preparing themselves for a possible SAG strike on July 1, or they are trying to keep things as close to the chest as possible, James Gunn and his team behind Superman: Legacy held the first round of screen tests on Saturday and Sunday. Apparently, on Saturday they paired up the three contenders for Superman/Clark with the three contenders for Lois and had them go through several scenes with the males playing Clark in costume and makeup. The pairs were: Nicholas Hoult and Rachel Brosnahan, Tom Brittney and Phoebe Dynevor, and David Corenswet and Emma Mackey.
On Sunday, all three male actors were asked to return and play some scenes in costume as Superman; only Emma Mackey was asked back to play Lois off of them. THR notes that, even though it’s impossible not to draw any conclusions from that, their sources insist that this doesn’t mean Mackey is the frontrunner for the role. That being said, though, the writing is on the wall, and just looking at the pairs, it looks like Corenswet and Mackey are the favorites for their respective roles. After all, the pairings were predetermined and the executives would probably want at least a sense of what Clark and Lois would look like on screen together.
Emma Mackey, one of four contenders to play Lois Lane in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy.
Moreover, it also seems like they paired up the two least likely candidates to get the roles as well. Rachel Brosnahan has reportedly impressed executives with her auditions, but she’s a bit too old for the part, as we know Gunn is looking to cast someone in their early-to-mid 20s for both roles. Brosnahan not only is older, but also had a more mature look; she would probably be in her mid-to-late 30s by the time a sequel comes out. This argument doesn’t apply to Clark as much because of the physicality required for the role. A bulked-up 23-year-old would probably look similar to his 32-year-old self, which is an argument that Corenswet, with some makeup on, could make for himself.
As far as Hoult goes, The Hollywood Reporter did offer some clarity on the matter. The initial report from last month did include Hoult’s name, but as a potential candidate for Lex Luthor, which just made sense. Deadline reporter Justin Kroll later posted on social media that he’d heard Hoult was actually in the running for Superman, and because we like to pay attention to whoever has the last word, everyone assumed that was the correct answer. In this particular case, however, it seems like it was, even if it made little sense. Hoult has been a favorite for Warner Bros. since Mad Max: Fury Road and he was very close to beating Robert Pattinson for The Batman. According to THR, when it came to brainstorming names for Superman: Legacy, Warner Bros. did pitch him as Lex, and it was Hoult who decided to put himself in the running for Superman.
Whether he will make it or not, it’s still up in the air, but obviously, he’s got a lot against him. For starters, the age does play a factor in this case. Hoult has a more mature look than either Brittney or Corenswet, and he can’t quite sell himself as a 24-year-old. This is also why it made sense to pair him up with Brosnahan, in case the studio decided to go with an older-age version of the characters, favoring talent over youth. But it also sounds like they would rather have the best of both worlds. (Hoult and Brosnahan are by far the more experienced and probably better actors of all six people.)
As THR puts it, though, Hoult will still have the option to get himself back in the Lex race after the Superman call is made. But it’s a much more competitive landscape now than it once was (not that he would have been the studio’s only choice at any time), as two high-profile actors are also in the mix. According to The Hollywood Reporter, both Alexander and Bill Skarsgård are being considered for the part. The former, at 46, is currently looking at his third Emmy nomination for his turn as Lukas Matsson in Succession season 4; he’s already won one for Big Little Lies. He was seen earlier this year in Infinity Pool and last year as the lead in The Northman. Next up, he’s got Lee, which stars Kate Winslet as World War II Vogue Magazine correspondent Lee Miller. Bill Skarsgård, on his end, was just seen in John Wick: Chapter 4 and has both The Crow and Nosferatu in post-production.
Lex will be part of the next wave of casting for Superman: Legacy, which will happen as soon as Clark and Lois have been found. Other major roles to be filled include members of the superhero team The Authority, which will have its own film later down the line. They apparently will be introduced in the first DCU film, as a way to establish that Superman is stepping into a world that is already populated with caped heroes.
If everything goes according to plan, Superman: Legacy would begin pre-production after Labor Day and would be aiming to start rolling in early 2024. It is currently targeting a July 11, 2025, release date.
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as authors like Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
