"I grew up on the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies"— Superman star David Corenswet talks about his favorite superhero and more
David Corenswet has been promoting Superman actively as the film is making its way to a theatrical release soon. While the actor and his co-stars have been elaborating on the experience of working on James Gunn's Superman, Corenswet recently opened up about the superhero he looked up to as he grew up, it being Spider-Man.
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, David Corenswet touched upon varied aspects of his career, Superman, and more. On being asked when the idea of acting as Superman struck him, the actor mentioned how it was a recent dream, and the superhero he grew up watching was Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man.
Talking about his close connection to Spider-Man, the actor said:
"I grew up on the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies. Those were the superhero movies that I saw in theatres and that were really, sort of, relevant to me, just because of the timing when they came out."
David Corenswet talks about loving Spider-Man as a kid
In an extended interview with CBS Sunday Morning, actor David Corenswet got candid about his career, experiences, and how working on James Gunn's Superman felt.
In a section of the interview, the actor opened up that being Superman was actually not an idea that struck him as a kid, but later in his life. He recalled how Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man films resonated with him as a child, the reason being his similarity to Peter Parker. Talking about his childhood, he said:
"And I think as a kid, I wouldn't describe myself as a kid who fit in that well, you know, being a fan of the Marx Brothers. I had one very close friend who was also a fan of the Marx Brothers, and everybody else was, kind of, confused by me, I would say."
The actor further shared how his own experiences connected him better with Spider-Man back than as a kid, rather than Superman. He mentioned:
"There's something very romantic about the Peter Parker superhero story, which is that you're a nerd that gets bullied, and then you get these amazing powers and you get to do cool things with them. Superman, I think, is a different kind of superhero fantasy for a kid."
David Corenswet's connection to Spider-Man brings the actor's fondness for the superhero, with the idea of playing Superman coming to him later as he grew up.
David Corenswet describes how Superman feels like a "dad figure" to him
David Corenswet also spoke about his interpretation of Superman in the interview with CBS Sunday Morning. He remembered an anecdote from his days as a student when he took charge as a smoke alarm went off while his classmates were cooking. Recalling how he was called Superman for the first time when he saved the day after this incident, he shared:
"The classmate sort of like looked at me, (and said) you come running out of your room in your underwear and you like save the day. You literally are Superman. And I remember her saying Superman in that moment and thinking that's so cool that me in my underwear, turning a smoke alarm at 11 pm is Superman, that's Superman energy."
Corenswet touched upon being the 'dad figure' of his friend group and how that characteristic also matched his idea of Superman's personality. The actor said:
"Superman as the dad figure is right in a way where that thing of like he's not the cool guy, he's not necessarily the guy you look at and you think, I want to be that guy. You're like, I want to have that guy around. I want to hang out with my friends and get into trouble, and when things go bad, I want him to show up to save the day.
The actor appears in Superman (2025) alongside Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, and Edu Gathegi, among others.
More about David Corenswet and his works
Beginning his career at the age of 9, David Corenswet has been building his space in the entertainment world since 2002. He made an acting debut through theater plays, gradually working with directors such as Ryan Murphy, Ned Benson, and more.
The actor can be seen in various films such as Following Chase (2011), Affairs of State (2018), Pearl (2022), Twisters (2024), and more. Some of his popular shows include House of Cards (2018), The Politician (2019-2020), Hollywood (2020), and Lady in the Lake (2024), among others.
The actor's role in Superman (2025) as the titular character is much anticipated, with the film being his official entry into the franchise. Viewers will get to watch David Corenswet take up tough challenges as Superman in the upcoming film, releasing on July 11, 2025.
Also read: “We are now 100% done” - James Gunn announces the completion of Superman (2025)
Stay tuned for more updates.
