DC’s Confirmed Past Superman Actor Return In Clark Kent’s Next Release Comes At The Perfect Time

Superman is coming back next month with an exciting release that sees a past Man of Steel actor take on the role of another DC hero, and it could not come at a better time. While David Corenswet gives life to Superman in the shared DC Universe, that is not the only source of DC projects going forward.

DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have been very vocal about this. They even introduced the DC Elseworlds label, which is to be used for movies and TV shows that exist outside the continuity of the new DCU. For instance, that would apply to movies like Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker: Folie à Deux and Robert Pattinson’s The Batman franchise.

In terms of TV shows, the animated Harley Quinn series, HBO’s The Penguin, and more projects on DC’s slate will also exist in standalone format or within separate shared universes, not in the DCU. It is through the latter that Superman comes back next month. While Corenswet will not be part of this 2026 Man of Steel project, at least two Superman actors will.

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Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?

AThanagar
BKrypton
CApokolips
DOa

✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.

Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?

ADiana Prince
BLana Lang
CLois Lane
DCat Grant

✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.

Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?

AKryptonite
BVibranium
CNth Metal
DRed Sun Ore

✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.

In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?

AHenry Cavill
BBrandon Routh
CTom Welling
DChristopher Reeve

✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.

Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?

ABrainiac
BLex Luthor
CDarkseid
DDoomsday

✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.

After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?

AGotham City
BMetropolis
CSmallville, Kansas
DCoast City

✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.

As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?

ADaily Planet
BDaily Bugle
CMetropolis Star
DGotham Gazette

✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.

This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?

ABizarro
BParasite
CMetallo
DGeneral Zod

✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.

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The most important of them is Jack Quaid, known worldwide as Hughie from The Boys, who voices the title hero in the upcoming My Adventures with Superman season 3. The animated series returns on HBO Max on June 14, and it will include Tomorrowverse Superman actor Darren Criss as its version of Superboy, which comes at the perfect time.

Darren Criss’ DC Return Is Perfect Before James Gunn’s Next Superman Movie

Criss gave life to Superman in several movies in the Tomorrowverse, the latest shared universe of DC animated films. The franchise concluded in 2024 with a Justice League trilogy that adapted the iconic Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. However, what is more interesting at the moment is not Criss’ final time as Superman, but the actor’s first project voicing Clark Kent. That movie was 2020’s Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Now, as he takes on Superboy, not Superman, six years later, the actor’s return could not have been more timely due to his connection to the live-action DC Universe.

Man of Tomorrow is not only connected to Criss’ first Superman, but also an upcoming release, as it just so happens to be the title of the DCU’s Superman sequel. The new Man of Tomorrow continues the story of Corenswet’s Clark Kent and is set to fly into theaters on July 9, 2027. Criss’ return to Superman’s pocket of DC happening just around the corner of a major live-action movie that uses the same title as his debut as the iconic hero is quite the fun connection, and after watching My Adventures with Superman season 3, could lead to more discovering DC’s Tomorrowverse.

How James Gunn’s Man Of Tomorrow Can Be Different From Darren Criss’

Before the DCU decided to use Man of Tomorrow for its Superman sequel, the comic book giant’s animated division used it for the movie that started a new universe, with Criss’ debut as Superman naming the franchise, now known as the Tomorrowverse. That said, both projects should end up looking completely different despite sharing the same name. For starters, Criss’ Superman was more of a beginner than Corenswet’s in the animated movie. It was a very down-to-basics entry for the DC hero, different from the DCU, which has so many major elements.

The 2027 movie will have a different main villain, Brainiac, instead of Parasite, and features several DCU heroes, such as the Green Lantern John Stewart, the Justice Gang, and possibly more. The new Man of Tomorrow also makes a change to the use of Lex Luthor, as he will be a co-lead in the upcoming film, forced to work together with Superman against Brainiac. At the end of the day, My Adventures with Superman season 3’s Superboy casting is timely to add a meta layer to the Man of Tomorrow’s slate of releases, but Criss’ movie remains its own thing.

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