James Gunn Fans Will Be Blown Away by 1 Clip From David Corenswet’s Hit 2019 Show That Predicted His ‘Superman’ Future With Scary Accuracy
- David Corenswet's role in 'The Politician' has a scene predicting his future casting as Superman.
- Corenswet balanced dual identities and societal expectations in 'The Politician', mirroring Superman's struggles.
- Corenswet has expressed his desire to bring a brighter and more optimistic Superman to the screen.
The world of entertainment sometimes drops hints about what is coming next quite unexpectedly. Casting choices, certain dialogs, and scenes sometimes go unnoticed for years until people start connecting dots, and they suddenly start making sense. A similar thing has happened with David Corenswet.
As James Gunn is preparing a new DC Universe, starting with its first movie, Superman, one of Corenswet’s previous roles is suddenly getting noticed as it not only predicted him being Superman but also showed why he is perfect for the role.
How The Politician predicted David Corenswet as Superman
Superman is going to be one of James Gunn‘s and DC Studio’s most ambitious projects, as it has the responsibility to kickstart a whole franchise from scratch. The movie will show how David Corenswet balances his upbringing as Clark Kent and his Kryptonian heritage as he deals with all sorts of adversities.
Before Superman, Corenswet had worked in several movies and TV shows, but his breakthrough came with The Politician, where he played the role of River Barkley for 11 episodes. Corenswet portrayed a bisexual character who was dealing with dual identities and the pressure of expectations.
The other cast member included Ben Platt, who played Payton Hobart, one of the love interests of Barkley. However, what is surprisingly interesting is that the show quite accurately predicted Corenswet’s Superman. In The Politician Season 2, Episode 7, Platt’s character says to Corenswet’s Barkley, “You look like Superman.”
“You look like Superman”
— david corenswet archive (@corenswetmedia) December 18, 2024
From The Politician Season 2, Episode 7.
Filmed in late 2018. pic.twitter.com/l5SwJNtKsq
Barkley showed many characteristics that would make Corenswet a good Superman. He was seemingly a perfect individual but was dealing with many internal conflicts, much like Clark Kent, who constantly struggles with his alien heritage and human upbringing.
Barkley’s struggle with his identity and the expectations that were put on him resembles Superman’s own struggle of self-discovery and dealing with the world’s expectations. Moreover, Barkley also became a source of inspiration and hope for Hobart to work towards social justice, much like how Superman is a beacon of hope for the world.
These parallels between River and Superman are not limited to a superficial level. Superman needs to maintain a balance between his superhuman abilities and relatable humanity, and Corenswet portrayed both strength and vulnerability in The Politician.
David Corenswet’s early Superman aspirations and Henry Cavill connection
Apart from The Politician, David Corenswet himself has always been interested in portraying Superman. In an earlier interview on Entertainment Weekly, the actor was asked whether he was aware of the internet talking about his resemblance to Henry Cavill, to which he said,
It came to my attention before the internet got a hold of me. But my pie-in-the-sky ambition is definitely to play Superman. I would love to see somebody do an upbeat, throwback [take on Superman]. I love the Henry Cavill dark and gritty take, but I would love to see the next one be very bright and optimistic.
Talking about the criticisms that Superman has gotten over the years due to his powers and the way he has been portrayed so far, he told Entertainment Weekly,
He’s been done right and he’s been done wrong. It’s time for another right one. The cool thing about Superman is the thing that everybody says is the problem with the character, which is that he’s invincible. That’s the most interesting thing about him.
Corenswet understands Superman’s complexity and believes that his opportunities lie within his limitations. Now, under James Gunn’s leadership, he might be able to portray the “right” version of Superman he imagined.
Superman will be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.
The Politician is available to stream on Netflix.
