When David Corenswet agreed to play Superman, one name stood out in the discussion: Christopher Reeve. The beloved actor not only defined the Man of Steel for decades, but he also embodied the role off-screen, facing personal tragedy with the same strength and dignity fans associate with Superman himself.
For Corenswet, watching the recent documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story helped put things in perspective.
“The cool thing about seeing the Christopher Reeve documentary was a sense of relief,” he said. “We all got lucky that the first big-screen Superman was so iconic — he lived the part in his real life, too. And then he faced this tragedy, but how he handled it was so in line with the spirit of the character. He really became Superman for a lot of people.”
The documentary, directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui (McQueen), is a moving portrait of an extraordinary life. It chronicles Reeve’s meteoric rise from an unknown actor to the most definitive Superman in cinematic history, portraying the role in four iconic films that helped lay the foundation for the superhero movie era we live in today. But it’s what happened after his career-altering accident in 1995 that left the most profound impact.
After a near-fatal horse-riding accident left Reeve paralyzed from the neck down, he didn’t retreat from the spotlight; he used it. Reeve became a powerful advocate for spinal cord injury research, championing disability rights, health care reform, and raising awareness for people with disabilities. His advocacy work, along with his return to filmmaking both in front of and behind the camera, made him a true symbol of hope, reflecting the values of the very character he made legendary.
The documentary features never-before-seen home movies, deeply personal archive material, and the first extended interviews with Reeve’s three children. Interviews with Reeve’s colleagues and friends, including Hollywood icons who worked closely with him, add further insight into his legacy.
It’s a stunning and emotional cinematic tribute that’s now streaming on HBOMAX and other platforms, and Corenswet highly recommends it. “It just gives you a fuller picture of the kind of man he was,” he said. That legacy is one Corenswet deeply respects, but he’s not trying to compete with it.
“Anything you do after that pales in comparison. All you can really hope to do is honor that spirit. Maybe remind people of it,” he said. Instead of reinventing the wheel, Corenswet likens the role to stepping into a Shakespearean part. “There are so many versions already. You’re not trying to make it your own. You’re just trying to contribute something meaningful and new.”
Whether it’s through the quiet resilience of his Clark Kent or the vulnerability of a Superman still finding his place, Corenswet is more focused on sincerity than scale.
“Feeling too much responsibility can get in the way of the work,” he explained. “My job is to show up, be a good scene partner, and serve James’s story. That’s how you make a movie worth remembering.”
Superman Hits Theaters July 11