David Corenswet has yet to make his mark as the Man of Steel in the DC Universe reboot Superman but he is already the tallest actor to play the character at the moment. With Henry Cavill ending his tenure as Superman in the DCEU movies, Corenswet walks in his footsteps for James Gunn’s upcoming Superman movie. The Hollywood and Pearl actor has been working out in the gym to achieve a Kryptonian physique and reading iconic Superman comics to get into the character’s mindset. The expectations have only increased further with a first-look image teasing him donning the red-and-blue costume.
Whether Christopher Reeve in the ’70s and ’80s Superman movies or Henry Cavill in Zack Snyder’s movies, most actors who take on the classic DC hero are often required to work on their physical presence. While all the live-action Superman actors have tried to tap into different areas of Superman’s psyche, they have also significantly bulked up to look convincing enough as the Last Son of Krypton. For Corenswet, a towering physique also stems from his distinct physical characteristics such as his tall height. While he might be leaner than his predecessor Cavill, he definitely stands taller than him.
When Christopher Reeve played the first cinematic Superman in Richard Donner’s 1978 classic, the American actor stood at 6’4″ and had built significant body muscle to get in shape. Also standing at 6’4’”, David Corenswet is the tallest Superman actor since Reeve. Except for Tyler Hoechlin in the CW shows and Dean Cain in Lois & Clark (who stood at roughly 5’11”), most Superman actors have been taller than or equal to 6 feet.Man of Steel’s Henry Cavill stood at 6’1’’ while Superman Returns’ Brandon Routh was a little taller at 6’2.5’”. Corenswet, however, stands the same as Reeve.
Even Nicolas Cage, who was supposed to play Superman in a canceled Tim Burton project (with his likeness appearing later in The Flash), boasts a height of 6 feet. Interestingly enough, both Superman and Lois Lane actors also set a new height difference record in Gunn’s Superman. In Gunn’s film, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan have the biggest height difference of all Superman and Lois Lane actors, with 13 inches standing between them. Complementing Corenswet’s 6’4″ stature, the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel actress plays Lois Lane at 5’3″. This also makes Brosnahan the shortest actress to play the Daily Planet journalist.
From his very first appearance in Action Comics #1 (1938), Superman has been depicted with peak physical abilities like superhuman strength and near invulnerability. As a person, Superman and his alter ego Clark Kent usually reflect a friendly attitude and a moralistic code of justice. But his towering physique makes him all the more convincing as the savior of Metropolis and the leader of the Justice League. So, it’s no surprise that James Gunn’s Superman actor David Corenswet is tall enough to look the part just like Joe Schuster, Jim Lee and many other artists drew him in the comics.
Director James Gunn is also known for emphasizing practical effects over CGI. Apart from most of his Guardians of the Galaxy cast members being adorned in practical makeup, his lead Chris Pratt underwent a major physical transformation to play Star-Lord. Much like Christopher Reeve and Henry Cavill before him, it’s clear that Corenswet will also don the Superman costume without any CGI tweaking or muscle suit tricks. This is evident from his creased costume shot in the first look itself. Similarly, Corenswet’s 6’4’’ stature can help him in making his version of Superman look more convincing in the DC Universe.