Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's (possibly) Superman!
The Hollywood Reporter has learned a few of the top contenders for the highly coveted roles of Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor in James Gunn and Peter Safran's upcoming DC Universe, which will kickstart in 2025 with Superman: Legacy.
David Corenswet (Pearl; The Politician) has emerged as one of the top contenders - possibly the frontrunner - to play the title role of Clark Kent/Superman. He recently advanced to the screen test stage, which is expected to take place sometime after Memorial Day, early June at the latest.
Two other actors are also believed to be in the mix, but their identities have yet to be uncovered, so it's unclear whether they'll also be screen testing soon.
British actors Tom Brittney (Grantchester; Greyhound) and Andrew Richardson (A Call to Spy; The Independent) were among the many to audition for the part, but are no longer in consideration. Australian actor Jacob Elordi (Euphoria; The Kissing Booth), who was a fan-favorite pick, never actually auditioned for Gunn or Safran, and his involvement was only really the result of online speculation.
As for Superman's archnemesis Lex Luthor, it seems as though the producers may have already zeroed in on a candidate: Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: Days of Future Past; Mad Max: Fury Road). His name has been attached to the film for quite some time and while some thought he may have been up for the Man of Steel, it now looks like Gunn has him earmarked for Luthor instead.
However, Deadline ace Justin Kroll contradicts the report and is now saying that Hoult is actually up for Superman, not Luthor, so I guess we'll see over the next few weeks. He also says Gunn and Safran are nowhere close to making a final decision on Superman.
Meanwhile, the casting for Lois Lane may take some more time, as THR adds that Emma Mackey (Sex Education; Barbie), Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; House of Cards), Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton; Younger), and Samara Weaving (Scream VI; Ready or Not) are all in the mix.
Brosnahan delivered an "outstanding" audition according to sources, but it's unclear whether, at 32, she's still in the running for the expected-to-be mostly 20-something cast, although she is an Emmy-winning talent and would certainly be a strong addition.
Not all of the listed actresses are expected to screen test and others are still auditioning, so the role is very much up for grabs. Considering the timeline of their Superman casting, which could potentially be finalized by the end of next month, it wouldn't necessarily be surprising if they wanted to lock down Clark Kent before finding his lady love.
We'll wait on Gunn to comment on this latest development, but with San Diego Comic-Con right around the corner, it might be wise to keep his social media focus on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, leaving casting close to the vest until the annual event rolls around in July.