James Gunn’s Superman is getting tantalizingly close as DC fans eagerly anticipate the beginning of the DCU. The upcoming reboot is set to hit theaters on July 11, 2025, introducing David Corenswet’s Superman to audiences for the first time. The film is expected to follow the titular Kryptonian’s early exploits as a superhero when his world is threatened by the villainous Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). A lot is riding on Gunn’s upcoming film, which will either build the DCU up with its success or bring it crashing down with its failure.

Superman kicks off James Gunn’s DCU and what is hopefully a long and prosperous career for David Corenswet as the Man of Steel. Unfortunately, many DC fans will spend much of his first film comparing him to his predecessor, Henry Cavill, who played Superman in the DC Extended Universe. However, this is an asinine comparison that doesn’t take into account the vastly different tones of their respective franchises. With James Gunn supposedly building a much brighter DCU, David Corenswet’s Superman might have very little in common with Cavill’s version of the character. Corenswet’s real competition isn’t with Cavill, but with a very different Superman actor who plays the character to perfection on an underrated television show.

David Corenswet’s Real Superman Competition Is With Tyler Hoechlin

Tyler Hoechlin is the Arrowverse’s Superman

Superman Cast & Character Guide

Character
Played By

Superman
David Corenswet

Lois Lane
Rachel Brosnahan

Supergirl
Milly Alcock

Lex Luthor
Nicholas Hoult

Hawkgirl
Isabela Merced

Mister Terrific
Edi Gathegi

Green Lantern
Nathan Fillion

Metamorpho
Anthony Carrigan

Jimmy Olsen
Skyler Gisondo

The Engineer
María Gabriela de Faría

Maxwell Lord
Sean Gunn

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David Corenswet’s Superman has a lot to live up to, with many great actors playing the Man of Steel before him. While he will undoubtedly be compared to Christopher Reeve, Tom Welling, Brandon Routh, and Dean Cain, the Superman that Corenswet really needs to watch out for is Tyler Hoechlin. Hoechlin is the Superman of the Arrowverse, appearing in multiple episodes of Supergirl before finally getting his series in Superman & Lois, which is currently in its fourth and final season. Hoechlin has played the role of Superman for eight years and has expertly settled into the character at that time. Hoechlin is the best example of what a modern Superman should be, a bastion of hope, positivity, and justice despite an ever-darkening world. Unlike the DCEU Superman, who was far darker than previous versions to match a more morally grey world, Hoechlin’s Superman is just as optimistic and upbeat as any other version of the character, even when life beats him down. This is exactly the kind of Superman that David Corenswet and James Gunn hope to create for the DCU.

Superman & Lois is ending with Season 4 means that there won’t be any overlap between Hoechlin’s and Corenswet’s portrayals of Superman. However, the memory of Hoechlin’s Superman will still be fresh in fans’ minds when Superman hits theaters in July. Corenswet will hopefully turn in a performance similar to that of Hoechlin in Superman & Lois, highlighting the more optimistic elements of the character, which have unfortunately been lacking in his recent big-screen appearances. Corenswet’s Man of Steel will have far more in common with the more recent television version than with Henry Cavill, making a comparison between the two portrayals of the superhero inevitable. When it comes to determining where Corenswet stands among other Superman actors, his name should always be brought up in conjunction with Hoechlin’s rather than Cavill’s.

Henry Cavill’s Superman Was Always Different (& Won’t Be Replicated)

The DCEU Superman Was Darker Than Most Other Versions of the Character

Upcoming DCU Series

Title
Release Date

Creature Commandos
December 5, 2024

Peacemaker Season 2
2025

Lanterns
TBA

Waller
TBA

Paradise Lost
TBA

Booster Gold
TBA

Untitled animated Blue Beetle series
TBA

Unfortunately, many fans may miss the point entirely, continuing to compare Corenswet to Henry Cavill’s Superman in the DCEU. This couldn’t be a more pointless comparison, given that Cavill’s Superman is an entirely different take on the character. The Superman introduced in Man of Steel is unlike any other version of the character ever depicted in live-action. Meant to be a more modern take on a classic character, Cavill’s Superman is far darker than most other versions, therefore making it difficult for there to be any real comparisons between them. This take on Superman was controversial, especially among fans who still fondly remember the happy-go-lucky Superman from Christopher Reeve’s franchise.

Because Henry Cavill’s Superman got such an abrupt ending in the DCEU, the wounds are still raw among fans who loved his version of the character. As a result, many will inevitably compare his Superman with Corenswet’s, failing to recognize that the two actors were hired to portray two very different characters. Unfortunately, this likely means that comparisons will hinge less on each actor’s performance and more on whether individual fans prefer a lighter or darker take on Superman. Hopefully, DC fans will be able to cordially and respectfully debate their preferred Superman, appreciating what both Corenswet and Cavill brought to the table in their respective franchises while recognizing that they played very different characters.

How Corenswet Can Learn From Hoechlin (Without Copying Him)

The DCU Needs to Take Elements From Superman & Lois

Upcoming DCU Movies

Title
Release Date

Superman
July 11, 2025

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
June 26, 2026

The Authority
TBA

The Brave and the Bold
TBA

Swamp Thing
TBA

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The future of the DCU depends on the popularity of David Corenswet’s Superman, making it all the more important that he learns some valuable lessons from Tyler Hoechlin’s TV portrayal. Superman & Lois proves that even though the world today might be far darker than it was when earlier Superman stories were told, the Man of Steel still needs to be a beacon of light. Superman’s optimism becomes even more compelling the darker the world gets, as he becomes more and more unique in a violent and harder era of human history. Hoechlin also proves that the “goody-two-shoes,” “Boy Scout” version of Superman hasn’t lost its appeal, so long as it is played with all the sincerity that the character deserves. Corenswet needs to keep this in mind with his Superman, remembering that Superman is supposed to be the exception. Even in a dark world, Superman can be an optimistic, happy-go-lucky superhero who stands as a symbol of hope.

Corenswet must also play a good Clark Kent, rounding out Superman’s alter-ego. One of the major criticisms of the DCEU’s Superman is that Clark Kent barely existed, with very little division ever being made between the two sides of the character. Hoechlin’s Superman doesn’t forget about Clark Kent. Throughout Superman & Lois, viewers are very much made to see that Clark Kent is the real man, with Superman being a mantle that he picks up in addition to his alter-ego, not the other way around. Corenswet’s Superman needs to flesh out the Clark Kent side of the character, remembering that this is the identity that fuels the Man of Steel’s heart and morality.

While there is plenty that David Corenswet can learn from Tyler Hoechlin when it comes to portraying Superman, the two versions of the character can’t be too similar either. Thankfully, the two actors play Superman at very different stages in his life. While Hoechlin plays a season’s Superman who is married to Lois Lane and a father to two boys, Corenswet will play a much younger Man of Steel still at the beginning of his career. This will hopefully allow for enough distinction between their two versions of the character that allows each to carve out their place in the Superman fandom.