You’d better get used to the name David Corenswet, because he’s beaten several other candidates to become the next Man of Steel in director James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy. And while the role of Superman has often gone to unknown performers, Corenswet’s star has been so dramatically on the rise that DT pegged him as one of our leading contenders for Superman months before he was actually cast!
Fans who are eager to see Corenswet don’t have to wait until 2025 to see him on the big screen. He’s currently slated to star in Twisters, the upcoming sequel to Twister, which will arrive in theaters in 2024. And appropriately for the streaming age, Corenswet has largely made his name on Netflix and HBO, which means you check out these five shows and movies to get a better idea of what he will bring to the Last Son of Krypton.
The Politician (2019)
Ryan Murphy and his collaborators, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, gave Corenswet one of his first breakout roles in The Politician. He appeared in 11 episodes over the first two seasons, which is quite an accomplishment considering that his character dies in the first episode! Corenswet plays River Barkley, the rival and former lover of the show’s main character, Payton Hobart (Ben Platt), a disturbingly ambitious young man who dreams of becoming President of the United States. But first, Payton has to defeat River and become the student body president.
Despite their apparent estrangement, River clearly meant a lot to Payton, which is why the show finds creative ways to keep River in the mix even after his suicide.
You can stream The Politician on Netflix.
Hollywood (2020)
Building off of the success of The Politician, Murphy and Corenswet reteamed for Hollywood, a miniseries that explores an alternate history for the movie industry and its transformative effect on society. Corenswet was even an executive producer, in addition to headlining the show as Jack Castello, a WWII veteran who has dreams of becoming a star. Jack just doesn’t always have the luck or the talent to come out on top.
Hollywood‘s large ensemble cast also includes Darren Criss, Laura Harrier, Joe Mantello, Dylan McDermott, Jake Picking, Jeremy Pope, Holland Taylor, and Scream 6‘s Samara Weaving, most of whom portray diverse or homosexual characters. The premise of the series is that by these characters remaining true to themselves and by openly embracing their identity, racism and homophobia are conquered at the cinema two decades before the civil rights movement.
You can stream Hollywood on Netflix.
We Own This City (2022)
The HBO show We Own This City gave Corenswet a major co-starring role as David McDougall, one of the lead investigators in the Harford County Narcotics Task Force who is looking into the corruption in the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force. As such, this makes McDougall one of the few non-corrupt law enforcement officials in this real-life story based on Justin Fenton’s book, We Own This City, which was adapted by The Wire‘s David Simon and George Pelecanos.
Corenswet’s performance is very strong, but this is really Jon Bernthal’s show. Bernthal fully inhabits his character, Sgt. Wayne Jenkins, one of the key figures in the Gun Trace Task Force scandal who completely loses any trace of a moral compass in his pursuit of money and power. So while the audience roots for Corenswet’s McDougall and others to fully expose the corruption, we can’t look away from Bernthal’s Jenkins.
You can stream We Own This City on Max.
Look Both Ways (2022)
Shades of Sliding Doors, Look Both Ways is a non-sci-fi romantic drama/comedy that splits into two different realities at a pivotal moment in the life of Natalie Bennett (as played by Riverdale‘s Lili Reinhart). In one reality, Natalie’s pregnancy test reveals that she is going to have a child with her friend Gabe (Danny Ramirez) after a casual fling has lasting consequences for both of them.
Corenswet’s character, Jake, comes to the forefront of the second reality, in which Natalie’s pregnancy test came back negative. That leaves Natalie free to start a relationship with Jake. Natalie and Jake have a mutually supportive dynamic with each other, even when their respective aspirations start to pull them apart. It’s kind of a rite of passage in Hollywood to be one of the leads in a romance movie, and Corenswet easily passes the test with his effortless chemistry with Reinhart. Corenswet may be the next Superman, but this will very likely not be his last brush with romance flicks.
You can stream Look Both Ways on Netflix.
Pearl (2022)
To date, Corenswet’s most significant role in a theatrical movie was his turn as the Projectionist in Pearl, the prequel to the horror film X. The hilarious thing is that the unnamed Projectionist thinks he’s just courting a beautiful local girl, Pearl (Mia Goth), who has aspirations of being a star. Pearl is also completely insane, which the Projectionist manages to miss until it is absolutely too late to get away from her orbit.
Regardless, Corenswet’s character does make an impression during his relatively brief screen time. And if Corenswet’s new role as Superman is any indication, he’ll have many other opportunities to win new fans on the big screen.
You can stream Pearl on Fubo or Paramount+ with Showtime.
