Rachel Brosnahan Talks “Superman”: It’s Not an Origin Story, But is it a Love Story?

DC Studio chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran, along with the stars of Gunn’s upcoming Superman, David Corenswet (Clark Kent/Superman), Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), and Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), delivered the goods last week at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. Part of their Superman presentation included a brand new, nearly 5-minute-long sneak peek at the film, and now, with the film soaring towards theaters for its July 11 release date, the cast can open up—a little bit, at least—now that Gunn revealed a bit more about the film.

Or, as it Brosnahan put it to Collider: “Well, now I feel I can say a little bit more because James really busted it wide open in CinemaCon. David and I have been trying not to say so many things for weeks leading up, and James just laid it all out.”

This means that Brosnahan was allowed to tell the folks at Collider about Gunn’s unique approach to reintroducing audiences to Superman, via a brand new performer in Corenswet (taking over, of course, for Henry Cavill, who played the Man of Steel under past leadership at DC), and a brand new story. One thing Brosnahan made clear is that this is not an origin story, which is an interesting way to approach this vital first film for Gunn and Safran’s new-look DC Studios.

“I also love that this is not an origin story. We’ve seen the origin story done so well a number of different times, but we come into a world that already exists — Lois and Clark are working at the Daily Planet, monsters exist in Metropolis, Lex Luthor has LuthorCorp. We drop in at this point in their relationship that I’ve never seen before,” Brosnahan told Collider.

We know that in this Superman, the Man of Steel isn’t the only person on the planet with superpowers. The cast includes other folks playing metahumans, including Edi Gathegi (Mister Terrific), Anthony Carrigan (Metamorpho), Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl), Nathan Fillion (Guy Gardner), and María Gabriela de Faría (The Engineer). Not to mention the monsters Brosnahan identified.

Then there’s the romance between Clark Kent and Lois Lane. This, too, has already begun by the time Superman kicks off.

“They’ve been together for about three months. And they’re asking some questions about the future of their relationship,” Brosnahan says. “They’re not sure if this is something that was just a really great fling or something that could be forever, and they have really opposite worldviews, and they bump up against each other that way. So, it was a really fun way into a familiar story.”

For more on all things Superman, check out these stories:

New “Superman” Teaser Sets Up an Epic Showdown With a Confident Lex Luthor

 Fixing Our Laser Eyes on the “Superman” Trailer Easter Eggs, Character Glimpses, and Krypto

“Superman” Reborn: The First Trailer for James Gunn’s Reboot Soar

Featured image: Theatrical poster for “Superman.” Courtesy Warner Bros. US actress Rachel Brosnahan arrives for Warner Bros Pictures photo call during CinemaCon 2025 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 1, 2025. (Photo by Michael Tran / AFP)