• The first trailer for James Gunn's "Superman" gives a first look at David Corenswet's hero.
• It also introduces a handful of other heroes, villains, and monsters.
• Here is the cast of the new DC movie and who they play.

It's been over a decade since audiences last saw a solo "Superman" movie in theaters, but director James Gunn has finally revealed the first trailer for his new DC reboot.

The film stars "Twisters" actor David Corenswet as the new version of the Man of Steel, as he takes over the role from Henry Cavill. The trailer starts with Superman crashing down in the snow before calling his dog, Krypto, for help.

It then introduces audiences to the new iteration of the DC Universe as Clark Kent balances his life as a young reporter at the Daily Planet and as a superhero. It puts some of the focus on his relationship with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) a fellow reporter, as well as Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), a nefarious tech billionaire.

The action also sees Superman fighting a huge monster and a mysterious black-suited figure. Take a look below.

David Corenswet plays the new Superman, taking the mantle from Henry Cavill.

Corenswet is known for his roles in "Pearl," "The Politician" and "Look Both Ways." He also starred in 2024's "Twisters" alongside Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. 

He told the "Manly Things (Sort Of)" podcast that he bulked up significantly for the role.

Corenswet said: "Getting to bulk up for 'Superman' was... I was looking for an excuse to really throw on some weight. I thought 210 was going to make me happy, but then I got up to 238... I wasn't 238 when we started shooting. 238 was my max." 

He added: "It didn't feel great... I did it so quickly that my body just hadn't adjusted to the extra weight... But that was at the peak of my bulk, and then I slowly lost weight before we started shooting. 

"I started shooting at about 228. I put on one of those sweatshirts, and I was like an XL or double XL, and I was like, 'I fill this out. This is amazing.' I didn't fit into any of my pants."

Rachel Brosnahan joins Corenswet as Lois Lane, Superman's love interest and colleague.

Rachel Brosnahan plays Lois Lane, a determined reporter at the Daily Planet and the love interest of Superman/Kent. 

The actor is known for her roles in "House of Cards" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," she reportedly beat actors like "Sex Education" star Emma Mackey, "Bridgerton" lead Phoebe Dynevor, and "Ready or Not" actor Samara Weaving to the role.

In February, Brosnahan told Variety what drew her to the role, saying: "I have always loved Lois Lane. She's smart, ambitious, and can be funny. She knows she's the smartest person in the room more often than not."

Nicholas Hoult is on villain duties as Lex Luthor.

British star Nicholas Hoult originally auditioned to play Superman in the film, but Gunn decided to cast him as the hero's archnemesis, Lex Luthor, instead. 

Hoult told The Hollywood Reporter that he enjoyed working with Gunn on getting Luthor right.

He said: "I was like, 'Oh, this is exciting where he imagines this character being, and hopefully I can bring the energy that he wants to what he's written on the page.' Yeah, you do want him to be imposing and dangerous. That's something about that character. Whenever you're playing the villain, I suppose you want people to feel that they are dangerous."

Nathan Fillion plays Guy Gardner, one of the many Green Lantern superheroes in DC comics.

Nathan Fillion voiced the Hal Jordan Green Lantern in several animated movies and starred in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" and "The Suicide Squad."

In "Superman," he's playing Guy Gardner, a hot-headed member of the Green Lantern Corps.

Isabela Merced plays another superhero called Hawkgirl.

Isabela Merced is playing Hawkgirl, a hero with a complicated backstory involving reincarnation. She also appeared in the Sony Marvel movie "Madame Web" as another superhero, Anya Corazon, and had a very gross role in "Alien: Romulus."

Edi Gathegi plays Mr. Terrific, whose intelligence is said to rival Batman's.

Edi Gathegi is playing Mr. Terrific, a tech genius who uses his inventions to fight injustice. The actor has also played a superhero before — Darwin in "X-Men: First Class."

Anthony Carrigan plays another new DC hero named Metamorpho.

Carrigan can briefly be seen as Metamorpho toward the end of the trailer — although he's easily mistaken for another character, Brainiac, due to the alien-like design of his face.

But it is definitely Metamorpho due to his purple crystal shoulder that can be seen on the right of the screen.

—Jorge (@djodjeee_) December 19, 2024

The character is typically a hero in the comics, but this ominous shot might suggest he has a villainous role to play in the film.

Carrigan is best known for his role in "Barry" but he has played two supervillains in DC shows "Gotham" and "The Flash."

Krypto the Superdog as himself.

James Gunn previously told fans on Instagram that his version of the character was inspired by his rescue dog, Ozu.

He wrote: "Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?" - and thus Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life."

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• The "Wicked" movie covers act one of the original musical's plot.
• The film is part of a two-part franchise, with the sequel set for release on November 21, 2025.
• Here's what we know about "Wicked: For Good," including the cast and potential plot.

The cinematic debut of "Wicked" is already as long as the Broadway original, but only covers half of the show's plot. A second movie is coming in November 2025 to complete the story.

The director of 'Wicked' and its sequel, Jon M. Chu, announced in April 2022 that the film adaptation would be split into two movies released in 2024 and 2025.

This remains true even as Universal is marketing the movie as "Wicked," instead of "Wicked Part One." Warner Bros., the studio behind the release, also used this tactic with box office hits "Dune" and "It."

"Wicked," the musical, is the second-highest-grossing Broadway show ever. The plot follows the origin story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, a character from "The Wizard of Oz."

The movie version stars Ariana Grande, Cynthia Eviro, and Michelle Yeoh. "Wicked" competed with another double-hitter, "Gladiator 2," for the top box office spot.

Although recent cinema adaptions of stage musicals like "Cats" and Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" haven't had box-office success, "Wicked" is primed to join the billion-dollar club. Deadline predicted a $80 million plus opening, and higher first-day ticket pre-sales than "Inside Out 2," which brought in over $1 billion in ticket sales in 2024.

Marc Platt, who produced the "Wicked" movie and stage production, said he initially intended for the story to be a film but changed his mind after speaking to Stephen Schwartz, who composed the music and lyrics for the stage musical.

"I waited a very long time to make the movie," Platt said at the movie's London premiere where Business Insider was in attendance. Now, fans will have to wait even longer, until November 21, 2025, for the second part of "Wicked," titled "Wicked: For Good."

Both parts of 'Wicked' were filmed together

The cast, director, and crew have all shared reasons for splitting "Wicked" into two films.

Both Chu and Platt have said in interviews that they didn't want to cram or cut songs or characters to fit the story into one movie.

Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, told Entertainment Weekly in February that the split allowed more space to develop her character's friendship and rivalry with Glinda the Good Witch, played by Grande.

A fan newsletter, "The Schwartz Scene," reported that composer Schwartz said there had to be a break after "Defying Gravity," the final song in the musical's first act.

"We found it very difficult to get past 'Defying Gravity' without a break," he said. "That song is written specifically to bring a curtain down, and whatever scene to follow it without a break just seemed hugely anti-climactic."

In 2023, Schwartz told the now-defunct site, The Messenger, that the second part will include new original songs written for the film.

"The storytelling required it, and therefore they were created—the intention was that they were organic and not imposed on the movie," he said.

Both parts of "Wicked" were filmed simultaneously and all the stars from the first film will return in the sequel. This also makes it unlikely the sequel could be delayed by production issues and should arrive on schedule next November.

'Wicked: For Good' will likely cover the second act of the Broadway musical

Spoilers ahead for "Wicked," the Broadway musical and the film.

The sequel's title is named after the act two song "For Good," performed by Elphaba and Glinda.

The first movie adapts the first act of the Broadway musical, explaining how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch.

Though Elphaba grew up being bullied and mistreated for her green skin and magical powers, she is desperate to prove she can be good and become like everyone else.

She and her younger sister Nessarose end up at Shiz University, a magical school in the world of Oz, but Elphaba is forced to share a room with a self-absorbed student called Galinda.

The pair bicker and fight until they become friends. At the same time, both women fall for Prince Fiyero Tiggular, and Elphaba learns that someone is trying to cage Oz's animals and stop them from speaking.

Later in the film, Elphaba is invited to meet The Wizard of Oz, its ruler, and brings along Galinda, who now goes by Glinda.

They learn that the wizard is a con man and that he and Madame Morrible, a magic professor at Shiz, are behind the conspiracy against the talking animals.

They want to use Elphaba's powers to help their plot because she is Oz's chosen one, not the Wizard — she can read a special book of spells called the Grimmerie.

But Elphaba steals the book instead and leaves Emerald City, leaving behind Glinda, who still believes in the Wizard.

The second film will cover the second act, set a few years after the first. In this act, the story connects back to the plot of "The Wizard of Oz," which viewers might be more familiar with from the 1939 film.

Glinda and Madame Morrible are part of the Wizard's administration, and Fiyero is head of a hunting squad for Elphaba.

Nessarose has become a cruel governor of Munchkinland and earned the title of the Wicked Witch of the East.

Elphaba, now known as the Wicked Witch of the West, tries to do good for the animals and people of Oz, but her magic and actions continue to harm her loved ones.

When her sister is crushed and killed by Dorothy's house, she vows to become truly wicked. This establishes her character as the witch depicted in "The Wizard of Oz" book and film.

There are no new characters in Act Two, except Dorothy, who is normally not played by a character onstage. There has been no casting announcement to suggest Dorothy will have a larger role in the second film.

• Universal released "Wicked" on the same day as Paramount's "Gladiator II."
• The coincidental release date has seen the movies dubbed "Glicked" — an echo of "Barbenheimer."
• They will have to make over $2 billion to compete with "Oppenheimer" plus "Barbie."

There's a new "Barbenheimer" in town, as two other highly anticipated blockbusters, "Wicked" and "Gladiator 2," have premiered on the same day.

Last year, the polar-opposite movies "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" were coincidentally released on July 21.

This created a cultural moment, dubbed "Barbenheimer," that breathed life into a struggling industry as cinemagoers approached the films as a double bill.

Despite worries about the clash, "Barbenheimer" was a huge success.

"Barbie" became Warner Bros.'s highest-grossing movie, and "Oppenheimer" set a record for the highest-grossing biopic. They made over $2 billion combined.

In July, Universal announced that "Wicked" would be released on November 22 instead of November 27, clashing with Paramount's "Gladiator 2."

The coincidental pairing was promptly dubbed "Glicked."

Others complained that it seemed like an attempt to re-create the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon.

Last year, some fans who noticed that "Saw X" and a "PAW Patrol" movie had the same release date tried to make "Saw Patrol" happen, but it didn't generate a similar buzz.

"Wicked" and "Gladiator II" will likely fare better.

"Gladiator II," directed by Ridley Scott ("Alien," "House of Gucci"), is a sequel to one of the biggest movies of the 2000s, so it already has a fan base.

It stars buzzy actors including Pedro Pascal, Paul Mescal, and Denzel Washington, which could carry it to success.

Meanwhile, "Wicked," directed by Jon M. Chu ("Crazy Rich Asians," "Step Up 2: The Streets"), is the first of a two-part movie adaptation of one of the most famous musicals. Variety reported last year that the musical had made over $5 billion globally since its premiere in 2003.

Non-Disney movie musicals have been a tougher sell in cinemas, but "Wicked" has picked up momentum thanks to the star power of Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and Jonathan Bailey.

"Glicked" becoming a cultural moment like "Barbenheimer" would give Paramount, Universal, and movie theatres a welcome boost after a slow summer.

Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst for Comscore, told Business Insider via email that the success of "Barbenheimer" was a "first of its kind scenario" that will likely not be replicated. But he said this trend has likely raised awareness for "Wicked" and "Gladiator 2."

"The studios behind both films should embrace the social media conversation and excitement that this key pre-Thanksgiving multiplex match-up is generating in the movie marketplace," Dergarabedian said. "There's really no downside to something like this."