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Actors can be funny creatures. They’re the ones embodying the characters, and it is their face on the posters, but directors are the ones telling them how to do it. Most of the time, it is in their best interests to do what they’re told, but David Corenswet, 2025’s Superman and the face of the new DCU, was insistent about one thing while filming the superhero hit, even if James Gunn wasn’t sold on the idea.

To Corenswet, Superman is a hero who laughs. At least, at certain moments.

If you saw Superman over the summer, you might remember the touching moment where Lois Lane tells Clark Kent that she loves him. Clark gives a little chuckle at that moment, which wasn’t something that director James Gunn was feeling when they were filming.

“James [Gunn], when I was doing that chuckle where she says, ‘I love you too,” David Corenswet said during a recent interview. “He came up to me and said, ‘It’s not working. It needs to be solemn.’ I was like, ‘No! The whole point is, “I fucking know that you love me.”’ Credit to James. He was right about 90% of everything, but on that one, he saw that chuckle was a very truthful thing.”

Acting, in many ways, is about trusting your instincts, so it is good to see that Corenswet knew when not to back down when his director gave him a note he disagreed with. It is also a credit to James Gunn, who knew how to trust his leading man to make a good decision for the character.

Superman is streaming on HBO Max now.

James Gunn's Superman movie is out now - and we have a lot to say about it. You can also read about Superman's S-Shield through the ages, how Superman and Clark Kent keep their secret identity secret, our recs for best Superman comics, and how to watch all his TV series and movies in order.