"I Sneaked Episodes Of Smallville While Growing Up": Superman Movie Cast Address Their Earliest Memories Of Watching Superman On Screen
The new Superman movie trailer has just been released, and members of the cast spoke with ScreenRant to discuss their history with the DC Universe. Director James Gunn has recently spent time and effort making it clear that the core characters of the new film are Superman, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor, making each of these performances paramount to the film"s success. With that in mind, it is illuminating to understand how each of these performers have been influenced by Superman content in the past, and how it informs their performances.
DCU Superman movie star David Corenswet - alongside Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult - spoke to ScreenRant and other members of the press at the Superman trailer screening and Q&A event about their first impressions of Superman. Corenswet noted that the hero has been an important and evolving part of popular culture, bigger than any single product for so many years. Despite different perceptions of what the hero can be, Corenswet found an aggregated version of the hero based on all of his iterations. This is an interesting perception of the hero that likely informs the idea of legacy that has been established in the new film.
[indent] I"m not sure a hundred percent what my first impression was. There"s a cool thing about Superman: I knew what it was before I had ever seen it. Anywhere you can show a kid the Superman symbol, and whether they"ve seen a comic or a movie, they know that that"s Superman. It"s just bigger than any one iteration of it. I sneaked episodes of Smallville while growing up after school, and I remember seeing Superman Returns in the theaters. That was sort of when I was coming of age, and I remember that iteration Since then. I"ve seen so many iterations and read so much that it jumbles together and becomes this grand arc.
[/indent]Rachel Brosnahan spoke next, describing Christopher Reeve as her first experience of the hero. With David Corenswet beside her during the interview, however, she seemed enamored with this latest version of the Man of Steel. Despite the influences that have come in the past, and informed her perception of Superman, it seems that a cumulative idea of the hero has emerged from the new film.
[indent] Mine was definitely the Christopher Reeve Superman. He was the Superman of my parents" generation. They loved the movies, so he was Superman for me for a long time. But I do have to say I feel like I turned to you during a scene that we were shooting. I saw the Superman suit in action later in the process than some other folks had. And I just remember, without giving anything away, walking through a field and following you with the suit on, and I think I ran up to you and was like, you are f***ing Superman. There were definitely moments, and sometimes when you least expect it at the end of a day, a really long otherwise mundane day where Superman walks out the trailer, and you"re like, this is not. Has anyone else seen this? So now it"s David forever.
[/indent]Nicholas Hoult, who plays Lex Luthor in the film, spoke last, agreeing with his co-stars about the size and importance of the iconic hero. While the idea of Superman permeated through the culture in a bigger way than almost any other hero, Smallville was perhaps the biggest influence on the actor. This importance, and how it fits into the movie, was also explained:
[indent] Yeah, it"s exciting to have my kid to have David has Superman to grow up with. It"s so ingrained in our culture that I knew Superman, Kryptonite, and all these things from before. I think I"d never seen any Superman, but Smallville was, again, my first probably real understanding of the world. Michael [Rosenbaum] did a fantastic job as Lex did in that. So that was a great first welcoming into the culture, I suppose.
[/indent] What The Superman Casts' Man Of Steel Memories Mean These Memories Emphasize The Cultural Importance Of Superman Close Superman is an incredibly important hero, and his relevance has been reinvented and changed through the years. Perception of the hero and what he means to audiences continues to change, although it seems that there is a core love of the hero at the center. The character has been in comics since 1938, and Superman has had several live-action performances throughout the years. With so many stories and versions, it is difficult to pick a definitive idea of Superman.
With that said, throughout these versions, there are core details that are important to the character, and that can be pulled from a cumulative idea. With Smallville"s rewatchable episodes and characters credited multiple times, Smallville is clearly an important influence on the cast of the film. With so much to pull from, the cast appear to understand the importance of the historic characters that they are taking on, and have great respect for that process.
Our Take On The Superman Casts' Man Of Steel Memories The Comments Suggest Disparate Influences Close Superman is an incredibly important character that has received so many adaptations and stories through the years. Hearing the cast talk about their memories of the hero helps in understanding the size and scale of Superman"s place in the culture. I believe the hero needs to be approached with respect, and with a core understanding for the hope that the character is supposed to represent. With a scattering of influences and an especial focus on the successes of Smallville, it seems Superman is in the hands of people who genuinely care.
DCU Superman movie star David Corenswet - alongside Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult - spoke to ScreenRant and other members of the press at the Superman trailer screening and Q&A event about their first impressions of Superman. Corenswet noted that the hero has been an important and evolving part of popular culture, bigger than any single product for so many years. Despite different perceptions of what the hero can be, Corenswet found an aggregated version of the hero based on all of his iterations. This is an interesting perception of the hero that likely informs the idea of legacy that has been established in the new film.
[indent] I"m not sure a hundred percent what my first impression was. There"s a cool thing about Superman: I knew what it was before I had ever seen it. Anywhere you can show a kid the Superman symbol, and whether they"ve seen a comic or a movie, they know that that"s Superman. It"s just bigger than any one iteration of it. I sneaked episodes of Smallville while growing up after school, and I remember seeing Superman Returns in the theaters. That was sort of when I was coming of age, and I remember that iteration Since then. I"ve seen so many iterations and read so much that it jumbles together and becomes this grand arc.
[/indent]Rachel Brosnahan spoke next, describing Christopher Reeve as her first experience of the hero. With David Corenswet beside her during the interview, however, she seemed enamored with this latest version of the Man of Steel. Despite the influences that have come in the past, and informed her perception of Superman, it seems that a cumulative idea of the hero has emerged from the new film.
[indent] Mine was definitely the Christopher Reeve Superman. He was the Superman of my parents" generation. They loved the movies, so he was Superman for me for a long time. But I do have to say I feel like I turned to you during a scene that we were shooting. I saw the Superman suit in action later in the process than some other folks had. And I just remember, without giving anything away, walking through a field and following you with the suit on, and I think I ran up to you and was like, you are f***ing Superman. There were definitely moments, and sometimes when you least expect it at the end of a day, a really long otherwise mundane day where Superman walks out the trailer, and you"re like, this is not. Has anyone else seen this? So now it"s David forever.
[/indent]Nicholas Hoult, who plays Lex Luthor in the film, spoke last, agreeing with his co-stars about the size and importance of the iconic hero. While the idea of Superman permeated through the culture in a bigger way than almost any other hero, Smallville was perhaps the biggest influence on the actor. This importance, and how it fits into the movie, was also explained:
[indent] Yeah, it"s exciting to have my kid to have David has Superman to grow up with. It"s so ingrained in our culture that I knew Superman, Kryptonite, and all these things from before. I think I"d never seen any Superman, but Smallville was, again, my first probably real understanding of the world. Michael [Rosenbaum] did a fantastic job as Lex did in that. So that was a great first welcoming into the culture, I suppose.
[/indent] What The Superman Casts' Man Of Steel Memories Mean These Memories Emphasize The Cultural Importance Of Superman Close Superman is an incredibly important hero, and his relevance has been reinvented and changed through the years. Perception of the hero and what he means to audiences continues to change, although it seems that there is a core love of the hero at the center. The character has been in comics since 1938, and Superman has had several live-action performances throughout the years. With so many stories and versions, it is difficult to pick a definitive idea of Superman.
With that said, throughout these versions, there are core details that are important to the character, and that can be pulled from a cumulative idea. With Smallville"s rewatchable episodes and characters credited multiple times, Smallville is clearly an important influence on the cast of the film. With so much to pull from, the cast appear to understand the importance of the historic characters that they are taking on, and have great respect for that process.
Our Take On The Superman Casts' Man Of Steel Memories The Comments Suggest Disparate Influences Close Superman is an incredibly important character that has received so many adaptations and stories through the years. Hearing the cast talk about their memories of the hero helps in understanding the size and scale of Superman"s place in the culture. I believe the hero needs to be approached with respect, and with a core understanding for the hope that the character is supposed to represent. With a scattering of influences and an especial focus on the successes of Smallville, it seems Superman is in the hands of people who genuinely care.
