Superman star David Corenswet has nothing but praise for his predecessor Christopher Reeve

In a recent interview with People magazine, Superman star David Corenswet spoke highly about his predecessor, Christopher Reeve, who played the Man of Steel in four movies between 1978 and 1987.

Over three decades later, Corenswet will step into his shoes and see the world from a great height. However, that's not the only thing they have in common. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Corenswet studied at Juilliard and started working in theater productions before entering the space of film and television. Reeve had a similar career trajectory before he became the face of the DC's superhero slate.

That's one of the reasons Corenswet looks fondly at Reeve, a Superman in the truest sense, both on and off-screen, as an inspiration. While looking back at his time at Julliard, Corenswet recalled Reeve's influence on his work. He said,

"I think while I was at school, [Christopher Reeve] was somebody who we talked about quite a lot as an alumnus who was sort to be admired and looked up to, and his relationship with Robin Williams, while they were at school, was very much a piece of Julliard lore that we learned about and talked about."

Corenswet further added,

"Long before I was auditioning for the role [of Superman], I just happened to stumble on some of the early interviews that Chris Reeve gave about playing Superman, and I probably at that time remarked on the similarity that I felt with him in sort of his perspective on the business and his way of talking about it. He was sort of wonderfully candid while still being earnest and open-hearted but it never felt like he was a politician or a diplomat."

Superman star David Corenswet speaks about Christopher Reeve's career after being cast as the superhero.

CinemaCon 2025 – Warner Bros. Pictures Invites You to “The Big Picture,” a Special Presentation of its Upcoming Slate - Source: Getty

During the conversation with People, Corenswet also spoke about Reeve's career transition from being a theater actor to a big movie star.

"You always felt like he was giving a genuine answer and he always had this graciousness, a grace of the trade-offs of playing the role [of Superman], especially at that time when he did two bold things: one was to leave the theater to go play Superman on the screen, which, at that time, would have been and was considered as 'selling out,' especially for a classically trained actor and also playing this role where it's him in his tights and a cape."

Corenswet also shared some memories about his father, a theater actor, motivating him to be a part of a local theater production, which made him excited about being a part of the acting profession.

David Corenswet opens up about his reaction upon receiving the role.

"Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" New York Premiere - Source: Getty

Corenswet recalls receiving a call from DC's James Gunn, confirming his casting for and as Superman. At the time, he was in disbelief, but he quickly gathered himself up to speak with his wife. He recalls how she helped him with his audition. Finally, after getting the part, Corenswet speaks about his experience the first time he got into the suit.

"You hear actors who play superheroes talk about squeezing into the suits. I got kind of claustrophobic in the suit, being constricted in all those places at the same time, and the fact that it takes a while to get out of it. There's no quick release. It was an intense experience and not this amazing, glorious becoming the character."

Corenswet speaks with the same spark and compassion that Reeve did while playing the part. The fans will get to see the 31-year-old star in this role from July 11, 2025 onwards, when it will be out in theaters.