The difference in age between new Superman actor David Corenswet and DCEU star Henry Cavill explains the direction Superman: Legacy is headed in. Cavill went through a rough patch in the role in the old DCEU, with the actor only getting one solo movie in the role, and last playing Superman in 2017’s Justice League before returning for a cameo role in 2022, appearing in Black Adam‘s post-credits scene. The moment was meant to start a new age for Cavill in the role, with the actor taking to social media to celebrate his Superman return. However, a few months after Cavill’s return, James Gunn announced that the actor was out.
Gunn and Peter Safran assumed the role of DC Studios co-CEOs, with the duo rebooting the old DCEU with their DC Universe. Cavill was not asked to return as Clark Kent due to the hero’s reboot movie, Superman: Legacy, focusing on a younger Superman. After a lengthy casting process, three actors were brought in to screen test for the coveted lead role of Clark Kent. Corenswet emerged as the new Superman actor for Superman: Legacy. The actor had been the fan-favorite choice for the role over the last couple of years, even before Cavill left, and the difference between the actors’ ages reveals an essential detail about Superman: Legacy‘s approach.
How Old Is New Superman Actor David Corenswet?
Corenswet is 29 years old at the time of his casting in Superman: Legacy. The actor’s birthday is on July 8, which means he is close to being 30. That will be his age when shooting Superman: Legacy. If it all goes to plan, Superman: Legacy‘s filming start will be on January 2024. After filming wraps, Corenswet will turn 31, but that will not be the actor’s age when the movie premieres. By the time Superman: Legacy comes out, Corenswet will be 32, as the actor’s birthday will come three days before Superman: Legacy‘s July 11, 2025, release date, which will lead to a pretty eventful week in Corenswet’s life.
How Old Henry Cavill Was When He Was Cast As Superman
Cavill was younger than Corenswet when he was cast as Superman for Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. Cavill was 27 years old when he was cast as Superman back in January 2011. With the actor’s birthday being on May 5, Cavill was 28 by the time Man of Steel started shooting that August. The actor has appeared in three DCEU movies as Superman since then. While shooting 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Cavill was younger than Superman: Legacy‘s new Clark Kent actor Corenswet will be when the movie releases in theaters. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice‘s principal photography began on May 19, 2014, with Cavill at 31.
The actor’s next time as Superman was in 2017’s Justice League. The movie started shooting on April 2016, making Cavill 32 at the time. This means that Cavill had three movies as Superman under his belt at the age that Corenswet will be when he is seen in theaters leading Superman: Legacy. While the actor appears in 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Cavill did not return to film new scenes as Superman for the movie. Cavill’s last time filming for Superman was for Black Adam. Cavill was a late inclusion to the movie, with his Superman cameo being shot in September 2022, a month before it debuted, when Cavill was 39.
What Superman: Legacy’s Younger Clark Kent Means For The Story
Soon turning 30, Corenswet will be 10 years younger than Cavill when he starts shooting Superman: Legacy. While Cavill became Superman a couple of years younger than Corenswet, the DC Universe’s expansive scope of having the same actors play their roles in movies, TV shows, animation, and video games guarantees that Corenswet will surpass Cavill’s five Superman appearances in no time. Corenswet’s age, in comparison to Cavill’s, perfectly explains what Gunn is looking for in his reboot of the Man of Steel for the DC Universe. Corenswet is not only younger than Cavill, but at 29, he is younger than Superman: Legacy runner-ups Tom Brittney, 32, and Nicholas Hoult, 33.
Gunn ended up going with the youngest actor of the final three that screen tested for the Clark Kent role in Superman: Legacy, with Corenswet even being younger than Lois Lane actress Rachel Brosnahan, who is 32. Corenswet’s age perfectly lines up with the details that have been revealed from the upcoming movie. Superman: Legacy features a younger take on Clark Kent, with the character starting out as a reporter at the Daily Planet, learning the ropes from a more experienced Lois Lane.
The DC Universe will introduce a world where superheroes already exist in Superman: Legacy, with Corenswet’s Clark Kent early in his Superman career providing a nice point of view for the audience as the DCU starts. Based on that, it makes sense why Gunn chose not to bring back Cavill, with Corenswet, at 29, being the perfect new actor to lead Superman: Legacy and the next decade of DC Universe projects.
Key Release Dates
