James Gunn’s Superman is one of the most hotly anticipated movies of the year, and it has a lot to live up to. The original Superman movies with Christopher Reeve defined the character, so those films hang over every new attempt at a reboot.
When The Hollywood Reporter asked Brosnahan if she felt intimidated, knowing that so many actors had played Lois Lane before her, she offered up a candid response. “Intimidating? A little, but intimidating might be the wrong word,” she explained. “I was really inspired by how many different versions of this character have existed, and it feels true to the comics [to have different onscreen interpretations].”
Related
James Gunn’s Superman Gets New Sneak Peek That Puts Lex Luthor and Superman Face to Face
A new look at Superman reveals a sneak peek at a scene with the Man of Steel and Lex Luthor facing off.
“Lois has maybe changed more than any other character in the history of the comics,” Brosnahan continued. “The way she looks, what she’s prioritizing from version to version. There are also tons of different versions of her backstory. She becomes Superwoman, sometimes. The Red Tornado is another character she’s been.
“I was most familiar with Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane.” Brosnahan explained. “I grew up completely obsessed with the Christopher Reeve-Margot Kidder Superman films. But I also love Amy Adams, and I’ve had the chance to run into her a couple of times since taking the mantle. So I know we’re standing on the shoulders of giants, and hopefully, we can make the fans proud.”
Clearly, Brosnahan has done her homework when it comes to Lois Lane. While many versions of Lois exist in the DC Comics, fans think Superman director James Gunn, along with Brosnahan and the new Man of Steel, David Corenswet, can go the distance. It also helps that, in the eyes of potential audience members that Corenswet and Brosnahan look exactly like the classic comic book versions of their characters.
Many actors have played Lois Lane, with varying degrees of success. Margot Kidder from the original Superman is beloved, but Kate Bosworth from Superman Returns is considered to this day to be a poor choice for the role. Amy Adams, who played Lois in the DCEU movies opposite Henry Cavill, is another favorite, although the DCEU is at an end now in favor of Gunn’s reboot. Multiple other actors have portrayed Lois in animation and on TV.
Related
1 of My Favorite Things’: Superman Star Isabela Merced Reveals What She Loves About Playing Hawkgirl
Superman star and Hawkgirl actor Isabela Merced touches upon taking flight as Hawkgirl.
James Gunn Has Been Teasing The Lois-Superman Relationship
In Superman, Lois will know that Clark Kent is Superman’s secret identity and their relationship will be “complicated.” Gunn told Collider that he was exploring one big question when it came to Superman and Lois, which is, “What it would be like for a person who’s this incredibly intelligent, strong-headed, stubborn, skeptical journalist, to have a relationship with someone who can lift a skyscraper?”
“The relationship between David and Rachel’s [characters] on screen is something I don’t think we’ve seen in – I hate to say stuff like this – but I don’t think it’s something we’ve ever seen [in] any superhero movie ever,” the filmmaker added. Fans will definitely have to bear that in mind as they prepare for one of this year’s biggest cinematic events.
Superman hits cinemas worldwide on July 11, 2025.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Collider
Superman
- Release Date
-
July 11, 2025
- Director
-
James Gunn
- Producers
-
Lars P. Winther, Peter Safran
-
David Corenswet
Clark Kent / Superman / Kal-El
-
Rachel Brosnahan
Lois Lane
-
Nicholas Hoult
Lex Luthor
-
Edi Gathegi
Michael Holt / Mister Terrific
