How James Gunn's Patience With David Corenswet Paid Off On The Superman Set

Acting is a mercurial profession; there's no one right way to do it. Ever since the 1950s, when groups like The Actor's Studio, along with instructors like Lee Strasberg began to adopt acting techniques developed for the stage decades earlier by the likes of Konstantin Stanislavski for film and television, the art of acting for the screen has diversified considerably. Over the last half-century and change, numerous film actors began either adopting the Method or creating their own form of it for themselves. The latter idea is essentially where we've ended up when it comes to most working actors these days, as everyone basically uses their own approach in order to get the desired result.

While having to wrangle an ensemble of actors who are all working in different ways makes a director's job that much more complex, it's this end result that is paramount. Still, there's no question that frustrations can crop up during shooting, thanks to an actor's process. Not all of these frustrations need be as dramatic as, say, Jared Leto mailing his co-stars dead rodents while shooting "Suicide Squad." Sometimes, these can be minor annoyances that add up, as is apparently the case with David Corenswet's behavior toward director James Gunn while the two were making this year's "Superman." Apparently, Corenswet inundated his director with constant questions while shooting the big-budget tentpole, a movie that Gunn has publicly stated has made him feel immense pressure, given how it's essentially the de facto first effort from Gunn and Peter Safran's revamped DC Studios. Yet, to be fair to Corenswet, Gunn apparently kindly indulged his star despite the demands on his time, and it seems like Gunn affording Corenswet his thoughts and attention may have made for a genuinely great Superman, both the character and the movie.

According to a profile of the actor in Time, David Corenswet attempted to go into his "Superman" experience with measured expectations and eyes wide open. Even though he appeared as the (human) antagonist of last summer's "Twisters," Corenswet seems to realize that his turn as Kal-El aka Clark Kent will exponentially raise his recognizability forever. In addition, he knew that a movie like "Superman" involves lots of characters, special effects, and other moving pieces. As far as Gunn was concerned, he only had one condition that Corenswet had to adhere to, which was to emulate the leadership role demonstrated by Gunn's former leading men Chris Pratt (on the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films) and John Cena (on "The Suicide Squad" and the "Peacemaker" series), telling the actor that those men "treated everyone with kindness and respect." With all of this, Corenswet knew that "Superman" required his selflessness on-screen and off.

Yet, Corenswet has gained a reputation for being a highly inquisitive actor, something which indicates that he approaches his craft from an intellectual and well-researched perspective. Although he initially assumed that "Superman" would not be a project where he could have deep-dive discussions with his director about character motivations and the like, he was delighted to find that he was wrong. As he explained:

"I thought for sure the biggest moviemaking machine is where those conversations are not going to be had. And it turned out it was the inverse."

This questions-heavy mentality makes sense when you discover that Corenswet was not only a child actor who starred in a number of professional stage productions growing up but also attended Julliard, graduating in 2016. The man has big theater kid energy!

As I mentioned earlier, Gunn's feelings toward Corenswet's stream of questions were not initially pleasant, as the filmmaker was trying to keep the various plates of "Superman" spinning during shooting. In typical Gunn fashion, he didn't mince words about Corenswet's process in the Time profile, nor did he fail to add how helpful it ultimately was to the actor's performance and the film as a whole:

"David's a pain in the ass because he asks a ton of questions about every single little moment. But I honestly think my favorite moments were when I would get irritated by his endless questions and indulge him anyway, and then I'd see him turn those questions into something magical in his performance."

Ultimately, even though Corenswet's process requires more attention from his director than usual, the actor has a good head on his shoulders about his craft and his role in the filmmaking process, as he stated:

"I definitely want to be good. But I'm not directing the movie. I give James puzzle pieces, and he gets to pick which one goes in which place."

Judging from the highly favorable response to the trailer and other materials released for the film so far, it seems Corenswet and Gunn have indeed put those pieces in their right place. As for Corenswet's on-set behavior, Gunn was sure to point out that his constant questioning was coming from a place of genuine respect for the material, and not selfishness:

"I've seen sets that cater to an actor or director's ego and that's just not something that would happen with David. He is Superman, even in his nerdiness ... Like Superman, he's a simple man in complicated times."

That sentiment makes this Superman fan incredibly optimistic about "Superman," in that it really captures what I believe is the core appeal of the character. If even a bit of that grounded simplicity that Corenswet and Kal-El allegedly share can be seen on screen, then we're in for a treat this summer, no questions necessary.