The 2025 Superman Is Here But Is He Your Man of Steel?
Today marks the arrival of the new Superman movie, and with it comes a new actor stepping into the most famous supersuit in history. So, let’s talk about the men who have worn the red and blue. While some debate whether Superman is a gay icon, we’re more interested in a different question. With a new contender in the sky, who is your definitive Man of Steel?
Meet the new guy on the block.
His name is David Corenswet, and he is officially our new Clark Kent. If he looks familiar, you’ve probably seen him in Ryan Murphy’s shows, The Politician (2019), where he played River Barkley, a gay character who has a romantic relationship with Payton Hobartand.
He was also in Hollywood (2020), and more recently in Pearl (2022) and Twisters (2024). Now, he’s taking on the massive legacy of Superman in the new James Gunn film, simply titled Superman, which lands in Australian cinemas today, July 11, 2025. He has the jawline, the classic good looks, and the charm, but the real question is how he will fill out that iconic suit.
The legends who flew before him…
Of course, Corenswet is following a long line of actors who have defined the role for generations.
Let’s start with the man who is, for many, the benchmark. Christopher Reeve became a global superstar with 1978’s Superman and its sequels throughout the ’80s. He captured both the gentle awkwardness of Clark Kent and the commanding presence of Superman. His portrayal made you believe a man could fly.
The ’90s gave us a primetime hero in Dean Cain on Lois And Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman from 1993 to 1997. This series focused as much on the romance and workplace antics at the Daily Planet as it did on the heroics, and Cain brought a warmth and accessibility to the character that was hard not to like.
Then came Tom Welling, who played a young Clark Kent for a whole decade on Smallville from 2001 to 2011. The show’s rule was “no tights, no flights,” so we spent ten seasons watching him grow into his powers. He was the ultimate farm-boy heartthrob who explored the man before he became the icon.
In 2006, Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns, a film that served as a nostalgic homage to the Reeve era. Routh beautifully mirrored Reeve’s classic performance while bringing his own quiet strength to the role, giving us a hero grappling with his place in a world that had moved on.
Most recently, Henry Cavill gave us a modern, physically imposing Superman starting with Man Of Steel in 2013. He brought a brooding intensity and a god-like physique to the role across several DC films, showing a hero struggling with the weight of his power in a complicated world.
And we can’t forget the original TV hero, George Reeves, who brought Superman into homes across America in Adventures Of Superman from 1952 to 1958. For an entire generation, his fatherly and authoritative Superman was the one and only.
An animated hero with a familiar voice.
It is also worth remembering that Matt Bomer got his chance to play the hero, too. He voiced both Clark Kent and Superman in the 2013 animated movie Superman: Unbound. It was a fantastic performance that allowed one of our community’s most prominent actors to step into the role.
So, who is your Superman?
Every actor has brought something different to this legendary character. Some prefer the classics, while others go for the modern interpretation. At DNA, we know everyone has their favourite. Now that you have seen the contenders, who is your ultimate man of steel?
