David Corenswet’s ‘Superman’ audition tape takes internet by storm

Superman, after the movie made its way to streaming, fans are getting an inside look at how David Corenswet won the role of Clark Kent. 

A self-taped audition of the actor has gone viral, showing the moment he convinced director James Gunn that he was the right choice for the iconic superhero.

The video, shared by 21 Casting on YouTube, begins with Corenswet slating before stepping into Clark Kent’s look. He then performs the interview scene opposite his wife Julia Warner, who reads Lois Lane’s lines. 

Viewers have been quick to praise the tape, with one fan writing on X, “You better be blown away by David Corenswet’s audition. This dude just oozes that Superman vibe.” Another commented, “David Corenswet was born to play Superman! Is Clark Kent! What an amazing audition tape!”

The comparisons to Christopher Reeve have also been strong. 

One person wrote, “You can always tell who went to Juilliard and who didn’t. Corenswet is such a theatre kid and it’s so great. He channeling [Christopher] Reeve so much here it’s wild. Also, if you haven’t seen his student projects and shorts, you’re missing out. They’re absolutely fantastic.”

James Gunn previously revealed to GQ that Corenswet’s audition stood out immediately. 

“From the very beginning, he was the guy to beat, frankly,” Gunn said, adding that the actor even followed up with a handwritten letter after his tape. Corenswet, for his part, explained that Gunn was struck by the way he approached Clark’s humour.

“James has told me that the one thing that surprised him, that meant something to him initially, was the humor that I brought to that first scene,” he shared. 

“I immediately read it in the terms of the movies that I grew up on, which are Singin’ in the Rain and His Girl Friday, and the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies. Just the timing and the patter and the style of humour, and it turned out that that was what he was imagining.”

The viral audition has only deepened excitement among fans, many of whom believe Corenswet’s natural charm and energy prove why he was destined to step into the cape.