Henry Cavill and David Corenswet are the two most well-known Superman actors of the 21st century, but there’s another live-action Clark Kent who combines the best parts of them both. Cavill, who played Clark Kent in Zack Snyder’s DCEU, and Corenswet, who now plays the character in James Gunn’s DCU, both had some great moments as the Man of Steel. They’re both at the high end of the list of the best Superman actors, and both have defined Superman in the 21st century.
Cavill and Corenswet also brought very different parts of Kal-El’s personality to the forefront of their adaptations. Cavill, for instance, took Superman to a much darker place than the character usually goes, to fit with the more grounded and gritty feel of the DCEU movies he appeared in. Cavill’s Superman was mainly focused on action, tough justice, and cool-factor moments, all of which he delivered in spades.
Corenswet’s version of Kal-El from 2025’s Superman, on the other hand, was almost a polar opposite of Cavill’s. Corenswet’s Man of Steel was much warmer and more friendly. The main focus of the character is on his kindness, compassion, and optimistic heroism rather than action scenes and feats of strength. Corenswet was more likely to save a squirrel than he was to snap the neck of General Zod, as Cavill did in Man of Steel.
Both Cavill and Corenswet brought important parts of Superman’s character to the screen in live-action, but neither of them told the whole story of Clark Kent. Fortunately, another DC project has another Superman actor that combines the best of both worlds: Tyler Hoechlin in Superman & Lois. Though his iteration of the character began in Supergirl on the CW, it was in Superman & Lois that Hoechlin cemented himself as one of the best Superman actors ever.
Tyler Hoechlin In Superman & Lois Is The Most Complete Live-Action Superman
Tyler Hoechlin as Clark Kent in Superman & Lois.
Tyler Hoechlin’s portrayal of Superman in Superman & Lois is arguably one of the best iterations of the character because it’s so complete. Both Corenswet and Cavill focused on important parts of Superman as a character, but none of their movies managed to capture all the sides of Kal-El. That’s because both interpretations of Superman exist at the same time, yet neither the DCEU nor the DCU have accurately portrayed that dichotomy.
While it’s true that Superman is usually a very joyful, hopeful, and somewhat corny character with a heart of gold that fits more closely with David Corenswet’s portrayal, that’s not all the character is. There are plenty of moments in the comics where Superman lets loose and gets mad, particularly when fighting powerful villains, that more closely align with Henry Cavill’s portrayal of the character. Superman is, somewhat paradoxically, both wholesome and edgy.
That’s where the beauty of Tyler Hoechlin’s portrayal really shines: he combines the gruff and edgy portrayal of Henry Cavill with the wholesome and joyous portrayal of David Corenswet, even though he took on the role before Corenswet did. In one episode of Superman & Lois, Hoechlin comforts a child by saying that his mother made his suit for him, while in another (one of Superman & Lois’ best moments), he viciously slams a man’s head into a countertop to defend the Kent family.
Hoechlin is living proof that both interpretations of Superman – one where he’s a lovable goofball and another where he’s a godlike servant of cold justice – can coexist in live-action. Part of this is due to the sheer runtime Hoechlin has had to portray Superman and the various positions the show has put him in, but the result is the same. Hoechlin’s Superman is the most complete and comic-accurate Clark Kent we’ve ever seen in live-action.
David Corenswet’s Superman Can Still Catch Up To Tyler Hoechlin’s
David Corenswet as Superman in James Gunn’s Superman (2025)
While Tyler Hoechlin’s performance as Superman in Superman & Lois is currently the most complete version of the character in live-action, there’s still a chance for David Corenswet to catch up. Corenswet’s time as Kal-El has only just begun. He’s known as a much more hopeful, corny, and optimistic version of Superman because he’s only appeared in Superman 2025 so far, and he simply hasn’t had as much of a chance to explore the intricacies of the character as Hoechlin has.
That lack of screen time has limited Corenswet so far, but James Gunn’s DCU is about to change things. Corenswet is set to have a small role in the upcoming Supergirl movie, which premieres on June 26. After that, he’s set to be the lead character once again in Man of Tomorrow, a film that will see Superman team up with Lex Luthor in 2027. It’s also safe to assume that Corenswet will continue getting more starring roles as the DCU continues, given Superman’s popularity and importance.
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There’s also plenty of reason to believe that some of Corenswet’s future appearances as Clark Kent will allow him to go to somewhat darker places than Superman 2025 did. While it is true that Corenswet’s debut movie had him mostly playing the “Boy Scout” version of Superman, there were also already some elements of darkness in his performance, particularly the rage Superman displayed when Lex Luthor stole Krypto.
Future Superman movies will also likely raise the stakes higher than they were in Superman 2025, which should give Corenswet room to mature. Man of Tomorrow, for example, will have Superman fighting side-by-side with his mortal enemy, Luthor, against Brainiac. The edgier, darker sides of Superman’s personality always come out when the danger rises, and Man of Tomorrow sounds like exactly the kind of situation that could provoke him. With luck, Corenswet will be just as complete and engaging as Tyler Hoechlin in Superman & Lois.
Release Date
2021 – 2024-00-00
Showrunner
todd helbing
Self – Executive Producer, Superman & Lois
Greg Berlanti
Self – Executive Producer