It’s not a bird or a plane — it’s the Superman trailer.
The first teaser for director James Gunn‘s new iteration of the beloved comic book character dropped on Thursday, December 19. Twisters star David Corenswet takes on the cape as Superman (a.k.a. Clark Kent) while The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel alum Rachel Brosnahan portrays his coworker-turned-true-love, Lois Lane.
Opening on a shot of an injured Superman crashing into the Arctic, he whistles to summon his superdog, Krypto, to “take me home.” The adorable pup follows his instructions by biting onto his cape to drag him to safety.
The trailer is packed with first looks at the star-studded cast, including Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, who is spotted scheming in his LuthorCorp tower and holding a gun. Heroes such as Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl and Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific make appearances alongside Superman in a Stagg Industries building.
Anthony Carrigan looks unrecognizable as Metamorpho, while Superman is shown in what looks like the Fortress of Solitude cradling a robot.
The trailer doesn’t offer many hints about the movie’s plot but features glimpses at several jaw-dropping action sequences. However, a shot of a bystander throwing a can at Superman’s head hints that this universe’s citizens aren’t as accepting of the Man of Steel.
The preview ends with a sweet shot of Superman and Lois sharing a kiss — while levitating — before the titular hero shoots up into the sky.
Before filming wrapped, Brosnahan, 34, talked about the legacy of Lois Lane while speaking exclusively to Us Weekly.
“I have big shoes to fill,” Brosnahan admitted to Us in July. “But this Superman is being made with a lot of love and everybody is excited about the responsibility of carrying on this iconic tradition and being a part of this canon. And so, I look to those who came before, I’m in awe of them and so I’m excited to be able to take the torch.”
She follows Amy Adams, who last appeared as the intrepid reporter in Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021).
“It’s been an incredible experience,” Brosnahan continued. “I’ve met extraordinary artists. It’s been exciting to watch James Gunn at the helm of this project. He sets the tone. He comes to work every day so excited to be there and it comes from the top. David Corenswet and Nick [Hoult] and the rest of the cast and I are learning from him, and we’re having a blast.”
Nicholas Hoult DC/YouTube
Alongside the Emmy winner is Corenswet, 31, who takes over for Henry Cavill. Cavill, 41, announced he’d no longer play Superman in December 2022 after nearly 10 years in the role. Gunn, 58, has assured audiences that the actor is perfect for the role.
“Honestly, from the bottom of my heart, David Corenswet is going to freak everyone out with how great he is,” Gunn told The Hollywood Reporter in November. “He is one of the best actors I’ve ever worked with, and he can do everything. The man is incredible.”
Nathan Fillion DC/YouTube
Gunn, who is also running DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, has stated that he wanted to start fresh and tell a Superman story unlike any of the stories that have previously hit the big screen.
Meet the new Superman. David Corenswet has been cast as Clark Kent in Superman: Legacy. Director James Gunn confirmed reports that Corenswet had been cast opposite Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane on Tuesday, June 27. “Accurate! (They are not only both incredible actors, but also wonderful people),” Gunn tweeted at the time. The actor replaces […]
“I don’t think we’ve ever seen the big science-fiction, silver-age Superman aspects that we have in our movie,” Gunn said on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast earlier this month. “And we’ve never seen this specific part of Superman’s life.”
He added that this version of Superman’s arch nemesis is more fearsome. “I don’t think we’ve ever seen the Lex that Nick is. Nick is imposing. You go, ‘Oh, f—, poor Superman,’” Gunn teased. “That’s the thing that we never see — not in film, sometimes in the comics. … You see now where Lex is not the person you want to have against you.”
Superman hits theaters July 11, 2025.
