David Corenswet Thought His Superman Audition Was for TOP GUN 3, Says Landing the Role “Feels Completely Impossible”
Superman may be one of the most recognizable characters on the planet, but for David Corenswet, the idea of actually putting on the suit felt so unlikely that he assumed his audition was for something entirely different. When the call came in, his mind went straight to fighter jets instead of Krypton.
Corenswet recently sat down with Jonathan Bailey for Variety’s Actors on Actors series and revealed just how out of left field the whole thing felt when his agents reached out. As he tells it, the moment was anything but glamorous.
"When I got the audition, I was standing on a ladder changing a light fixture. My agent said, ‘We think you know what this is about.’ I said, ‘Is it Top Gun 3? What am I waiting for?’
"I really was not expecting it, although I think other people thought that I should be expecting it. Just statistically speaking, it feels completely impossible."
For a lot of fans, Corenswet now feels like a natural fit for James Gunn’s reimagined Man of Steel in Superman, but back when casting was underway, his name wasn’t the one dominating discussion threads.
Many assumed the cape would go to actors like Nicholas Hoult or Jacob Elordi. Others were still holding on to the hope that Henry Cavill might return despite the franchise shakeup.
Corenswet, meanwhile, was quietly building a career with smaller but memorable roles, from Ti West’s horror prequel Pearl to Ryan Murphy’s series The Politician. None of it screamed “next Superman” to him, which is why being up for the role caught him so off guard.
He did a great job in the role and fans are eager to see how Gunn’s fresh take on the Last Son of Krypton will unfold in Man of Tomorrow.