When Christopher Reeve first took flight as Superman

in 1978, the film boasted that it would make you believe that a man could fly. While that kind of thing is pretty much old hat now, it seems there is still something about seeing Superman in the flesh that just really hits the spot. During an appearance at CinemaCon, the new Lex Luthor, Nicholas Hoult

, shared how he felt “the magic of cinema” when witnessing David Corenswet on set as the Man of Steel.

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Hoult appeared as part of the Warner Bros. panel, which revealed some more tantalizing details about this summer’s DCU blockbuster movie. Speaking with Games Radar+, the actor explained how seeing Corenswet fly on set for the first time was an incredible moment that enthralled all the cast and crew. He said:

“I have a very clear memory. I was on a set where David was dressed as Superman. He was flying on to the set and the bright sun was illuminating him from behind – and it was one of those moments where I felt like I was witnessing the magic of cinema in first person and in real time.

“I was sitting there thinking, ‘I’m evil, I hate him, et cetera.’ But I also felt this little warmth in my tummy and I had a little stupid grin on my face. I remember thinking, ‘This is magic.’ I turned around to see another 50 people in the room, and they’ve all got that same expression on their face as they’re watching him.”

“That was beautiful to witness because it shows what this character means and how David represents him, as well as what James has created with this story. It shows the magic of what these stories have created for all of us in the cinema.”

Will ‘Superman’ Soar or Crash This Summer?

Warner Bros.

Superman is set to be one of the biggest movies of the summer, and that is virtually guaranteed regardless of how good or bad the movie turns out to be. This is James Gunn’s first big test of the new DCU, and that means there will be a lot of eyes on the film when it hits cinemas in July.
First reactions to the movie have been as many expected – some love it, some don’t like it, and Snyder fans hate it…well, mostly just because it exists. Some have reported that the film plays out like a multi-story comic book rather than having a single plot line. In many ways, this harks back to the first two movies of Christopher Reeve’s Superman, which formed one story that included two Luthor stories, Zod, and multiple moments of saving people in random situations that had little connection between them.
It looks like this could be the route Gunn is taking if the whispers turn out to be true, which would, in effect, be like putting a live-action comic book on the big screen. After the darker route of Snyder’s Superman stories didn’t pan out too well, this could be just the kind of change needed to bring DC back to cinemas in a more successful way.
Source: Games Radar+

Superman

Release Date

July 11, 2025

Director

James Gunn

Producers

Lars P. Winther, Peter Safran