David Corenswet’s Take on Superman Is Surprisingly Radical

Bud Collyer was the first actor to bring Superman to life. He voiced the character on the radio starting in 1940 and lent his voice to the exquisite Max Fleischer cartoons that followed. The radio show and the cartoons have remained largely influential in the 85 years since, and Collyer’s take on the Man of Steel left a notable impact. Given that he was having to portray Superman using only his voice, there was a big difference between Clark Kent and the hero himself. Collyer’s Kent would approach a phone booth, sounding meek and mild, then, mid-exclamation, Superman would arrive. I’ve got it cued up below (but, honestly, watch the whole short, they hold up incredibly well).

Superman makes his appearance before he even puts on his costume, thanks to what Collyer does with his voice. He goes deep into his register, giving Superman a rich, powerful voice that feels appropriate for the last son of Krypton. There is also a sense of authority to it. It feels so appropriate that other Superman actors have more or less echoed Collyer’s take for decades since. Even if they don’t do so directly, the performative aspect of the character often shines through.

There are some exceptions. I very much enjoy Zack Snyder’s DC films, but I couldn’t tell you what Henry Cavill is doing as Superman or Clark Kent. He’s the same person all the time, even when he puts on a pair of glasses, but I think Snyder uses him correctly (barely lets him talk). Traditionally, Clark is presented as a gee-golly guy with a level of clumsiness that varies from actor to actor and production to production. Superman, on the other hand, often harkens back to what Collyer coined. Even if he doesn’t have that rich timber, there’s something authoritative yet calm about how he speaks to people.

That makes a lot of sense! Superman is a leader with a strong moral fiber (usually, he’s existed for almost 90 years and has seen countless variations, even in the main comic). Having a bit of friendly bravado makes him seem both approachable and undeniably in charge. It’s the confidence of a man who can catch a building if he needs to, but doesn’t want to hurt anyone unless he has to. Still, it feels a bit like an act, almost as much as Clark Kent does. It’s a way Superman has to behave to get people to listen to him. However, David Corenswet’s take on the character brings a major change to that trait. His Superman is just … a good dude, who, frankly, doesn’t care if you listen or agree.

You can read TK’s review of Superman here, and you should. You should also see the movie because it rules, and, while a big part of why is that James Gunn tries to let the film be a fun, comic book adventure without mocking comic books (see anytime the MCU makes fun of a character’s name), but he also takes it all seriously, without trying to make everything feel “real” (see the Snyderverse). It’s a big ole crazy comic book story, and it revels in that. It is also good thanks to a stellar leading performance by Corenswet.

The Pearl actor’s takes on Superman and Clark Kent are very different and, refreshingly, all of the pretense Supes is usually saddled with is gone. There is no performative nature to his role. TK put it perfectly, explaining that, “It’s the genuine good guy part that the film does so well. Corenswet shines in the role of a Superman who knows in his heart what is right but struggles with a world that doesn’t always do or want the right thing.” Amen, brother. Corenswet’s Superman is a normal dude, and leads with that. I don’t ascribe to the Quentin Tarantino Kill Bill Vol 2 about Kent being the disguise, but this is an interesting version of that.

I’d say it’s more accurate that both Clark and Superman are costumes, with a third personality, that often comes out on the farm in Smallville, or in private moments with Lois, being the true person. We’ll call him Kal-El. But, in James Gunn’s new movie, we see Kal-El, in moments with Lois and on the Kent farm, but we also see him when Corenswet is Superman. That genuine person shines through. There is no deep voice or puffed-out chest; he’s just a guy, trying to do the right thing. Given the decades the character has been on screen, the performance is fairly radical and will help differentiate Corenswet’s Superman for years to come.