Superman is not an origin story, which raises many questions about where these characters are in their development when the DC Universe begins. We know that this world already has a few centuries of history with superpowers, and that costumed heroes were familiar before Superman (David Corenswet) took flight, but Rachel Brosnahan has given us insight on something more personal for her character, Lois Lane. At a press event attended by ComicBook, Brosnahan explained where Lois is at in he relationship with Superman, and with Clark Kent. She was willing to share some insights on their mindsets, but for more specifics, we’ll have to see Superman when it hits theaters on July 11th.
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“They’re at a stage of their relationship where you’re asking a lot of questions… But I think it’s really special,” she said. “There have been so many wonderfully iconic versions of this relationship. And I do think that this particular film is honoring the mythology and the lore that’s been built before, but is swinging the lens to look at it from a slightly different angle and at a slightly different point in time.”
On a more pragmatic note, Brosnahan agreed that it was a smart choice to avoid an origin story in this movie — not just for Superman’s crime-fighting career, but for his relationships. “I think it’s a really cool choice to do that because it means that James is really trusting the audience,” she said. “But I don’t think that it’s exclusionary. I don’t think it requires you to have read every Superman comic or even know all the characters. You’re going to meet new characters, but in the world that we drop into, they just exist. And they’ve had various relationships with each other that you may or may not be familiar with. But I think it’s still accessible, if that makes sense.”
Brosnahan’s insights here add to the mass of background information on Superman that has been steadily growing for months now. Back in April, James Gunn told Time Magazine that in this movie, Clark is “madly in love” with Lois, while she “isn’t so sure about him.” Gunn also mentioned that Clark’s love for Lois is one of the things that “unbalance” him in this movie, just as his journalism career and his superhero reputation are both taking off.
Of course, trailers have already established one of the most important parts of Lois and Clark’s dynamic — she already knows about his secret identity. Several previews have centered around the scene where Lois asks, “Let me interview you as Superman,” and when Clark agrees, the conversation gets a bit heated. I’s a promising hint at a truly thoughtful relationship, and compelling on-screen chemistry.
For more details, we’ll all have to be at the theater when Superman lands on Friday, July 11th. Tickets are on sale now.
