Superman star David Corenswet was not the highest-paid actor in his own film, then who was?

David Corenswet is finally taking a flight on the big screen in James Gunn's Superman. He is the latest actor to don the hero's cape, all ready to prove his mettle. As Clark Kent, he tries to earn Lois Lane's trust and support while fighting everything and everyone that Lex Luthor puts in front of him.

Lex is the big baddie in this world. His massive ego leads him to go head-to-head with the son of Krypton. Yet, even before Lex tried to outperform Superman on the big screen, Nicholas Hoult had outperformed Corenswet in this one thing. The latest reports suggest that Hoult was paid more than Corenswet for his role as the scene-stealing villain in the DC universe.

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The update comes from entertainment journalist Matt Belloni's Puck News. It reveals a few more details about their salaries for this project. Nicholas Hoult was reportedly the highest-paid actor in the film, earning $2 million to play the villain. However, the star of the show, David Corenswet, was reportedly paid $750k, the same as his co-star Rachel Brosnahan, who plays journalist Lois Lane.

Puck's report also suggests that the film's success will be lucrative for all three, who are at the front and centre of this highly anticipated project.

How was Henry Cavill paid for his Superman debut, compared to David Corenswet?

Man Of Steel - UK Premiere - Inside Arrivals (Image via Getty)

According to the reports, British actor Henry Cavill, who debuted as the hero in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel (2013), was paid $300,000 upfront. Over a decade later, David Corenswet earned more to play the lead. Still, he and Rachel Brosnahan got paid less than Nicholas Hoult.

Per Puck, that is likely because Hoult is a more established name in the industry, having started his acting career as a child actor. At a young age, he co-starred with Hugh Grant in About a Boy (2002) as the second lead. He was also a part of the popular UK drama series, Skins, which gave rise to many stars, including him, Daniel Kaluuya, Dev Patel, and Jack O'Connell. In comparison, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan started working relatively later in film and television.

The same goes for Henry Cavill, who was paired alongside established actors like Amy Adams, Russel Crowe, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, and Kevin Costner in Man of Steel. So, the DCEU project proved to be his big break. Regardless, he proved to be a solid choice to play the lead, much like David Corenswet, who is earning great reviews for his performance.

How is David Corenswet's Superman doing at the box office?

"Superman" London Photocall (Image via Getty)

Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman has become an acclaimed project, earning an 82% Rotten Tomatoes score from the critics and a 95% score from the casual moviegoers. Their love and support are seemingly translating into the film's box office figures. It had started crossing records even with its preview screenings.

According to Variety, the DCU film has earned $22.5 million in previews, which puts it ahead of the preview collection of the live-action Lilo & Stitch project ($14.5 million in previews), the second-highest-grossing film of 2025 so far. David Corenswet's film is expected to earn somewhere in the ballpark of $100 and $140 million, which seems like a solid start for the new DC studio slate.