When the news broke that David Corenswet would play the DCU's Man of Steel in Superman: Legacy, it took no time at all for some people to dig up old, unflattering photos of the actor in an effort to suggest he simply isn't muscular enough to play the character.
To be fair, Corenswet didn't exactly have the expected superhero physique; however, he's been given plenty of time to train and has once again been spotted looking like an absolute beast.
With the beard, it's hard to ignore the fact our future Clark Kent looks an awful lot like Henry Cavill...but bigger. As you can see in the X posts below, Corenswet is hailed by fans as "massive" and even receiving comparisons to Ed McGuinness' portrayal of Superman on the page.
Actors like Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt have undergone similar physical transformations, so it's not surprising to see Corenswet do the same, particularly for a role as important as this.
While the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have slightly delayed Superman: Legacy's start date, it's given the actor plenty of time to train. He's yet to comment on being cast in the reboot but, four years ago, shared his desire to play a vastly different version of Kal-El.
"It came to my attention before the internet got a hold of me, but my pie-in-the-sky ambition is definitely to play Superman," Corenswet said. "I would love to see somebody do an upbeat, throwback [take on Superman]. I love the Henry Cavill dark and gritty take, but I would love to see the next one be very bright and optimistic."
Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.
David Corenswet is playing the Man of Steel, while Rachel Brosnahan has been tapped to star as Lois Lane. Other recent casting additions include Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
It's also been reported that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 star Kurt Russell may be in the running for Jor-El (there's no word on Ma and Pa Kent or whether they're even alive in this iteration of Clark Kent's story). Brainiac, meanwhile, is expected to serve as the reboot's big bad.
Superman: Legacy is currently set to be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.