John Papsidera, the casting director behind Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, is no stranger to the world of comic book movies. He first collaborated with director James Gunn on Suicide Squad and its spin-off Peacemaker, and now they’re reunited for the highly anticipated Superman reboot.
The film, which has already garnered rave reviews for its exceptional casting, stars David Corenswet as Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, alongside Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and many other talented actors including Edi Gathegi and Nathan Fillion. This summer blockbuster follows the Man of Steel as he navigates his dual heritage while confronting the villainous Lex Luthor. Papsidera spoke with us from his Los Angeles office.
Insights From John Papsidera
- Focus on building genuine chemistry with your co-stars, as strong relationships can elevate your performance and make casting directors take notice.
- Emphasize unique qualities like kindness, intelligence, or subtle humor to stand out, especially when portraying iconic characters.
- Be open to diverse roles and flexible in casting decisions, as versatility can lead to unexpected and rewarding opportunities.
When the casting process for this film was happening, I read about it along with everyone else. I got the sense that, while you were looking for the best actors to play Lois and Clark, it was as much about the actors who were best together that went into the casting, is that right?
You know, it’s funny; during that process, Rachel made David even better. They had chemistry, and the thing about finding Lois was her intelligence. You wanted someone smart and on it, and Rachel is a very smart, very driven, self-assured person.
Lois is her own person, but that kind of rapport that she can have and repartee with another actor, she brought that in spades, more so than other women, and that combination of David and Rachel was magnetic and exciting in the screen tests.
One of the things that a lot of people don’t understand about Superman (Zack Snyder certainly didn’t) is that he is the embodiment of kindness, and goodness and doing the right thing. David personifies that in a way that I think I haven’t seen in other actors playing the role since Christopher Reeve.
It’s a whole unique skill set that he has. When we first started, James was adamant about trying to bring back the original version of Superman. He wanted that beefier kind of farm boy goodness to exude a simple personality that radiated almost a ’50s period style kindness.
That is David. He is kind. He’s very smart. The thing that I love about what he did as well was that his comedy is subtle, but his intelligence lands the joke. David checked all those boxes.
He just nailed it on so many levels. Even from where he was in his audition to what the performance was in the film, it was spot on. Perfect for me.
I was always fascinated by the fact that Nicholas Hoult was a finalist for Superman, but ended up as Lex Luthor. That’s not a switch most actors can make. For instance, I couldn’t see David playing Luthor.
Nicholas did put on the suit, yes. It was interesting. You want to give actors a chance to grow. You want to support their vision of who they are. Having done Batman with Chris Nolan, plenty of people don’t raise their hands in those moments. Nick raised his hand.
I think James and I always thought that he leaned more toward Lex Luthor, but with the possibility of giving him his due as Superman. Maybe we’d be surprised. Since we were reinventing, in James’s imagination, what he was, let’s see what Nick does with it.
He’s a brilliant actor, and even in the test, Nick was fantastic. But afterwards, when you stood back from it and thought about it, David is what James always envisioned, and Nick would be a better Lex. Then it was a process of delivering the bad news, and then asking, “Would you consider Lex Luthor?” (Laughs) He had to come to it in his way, but I think now even Nick goes, “Yeah, I was better as Lex.”
I would have loved to be a fly on the wall: “Nick, we have good news and bad news.”
(Laughs) Not always the most fun moments in my life, but yeah.
Let’s talk about Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, which might just be the single best match of actor to character in the history of cinema.
(Laughs) I might put that on my résumé. Thank you.
I’ve known Skyler for so long, and he’s kicked around for so long and I’ve always been a fan. You’re right, when you think of Jimmy Olsen, you think of Skyler.
We did read other guys for it, but once Skyler came in to read, Kim Winther, my associate on the project, and I looked at one another afterwards, and we’re like, “Come on.” We couldn’t wait for [producer] Peter [Safran] and James to see the tape after we had done it.
The look of it is so great, but his comic timing, his cockiness, and there was something fantastic about his physicality for Jimmy as well. It just fit, and the fact that he was a ladies’ man, it all made me smile.
Why about Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific? It’s not easy to steal scenes from Superman himself, and yet he does it.
James is incredibly specific. Edi was very hard to find. We went through a lot of guys reading, and James, because he creates these characters, because he’s a comic book guy, because he has the imagination that he does, keys into voices as well.
He wanted somebody in that role with a deep voice and a way to play the role. Not only very dry, but he heard that character, so we went through a lot of people. James would say, “No, the voice is not deep enough. No, this isn’t right about it. No, that’s not right about it.” We were worried that nobody would match what’s in James’s head, but then Edi was that perfect match.
I’ve known Edi a long time, and he’s a brilliant actor, and probably never gotten quite as much credit as he deserves. I love the fact that this was a cool combination of his talents and a role that lined up with that.
James has a very long history with Nathan Fillion, and that makes a lot of sense. Still, I’m curious about Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl and Maria Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer.
James knew who Isabela was. She was the right age and look for the character, and was on this ascending trajectory, so we put them together, and that was easy.
James just felt she was the right girl for that. She had an attitude. She could hang with guys. She also had a certain maturity about her that you wouldn’t question, and Maria is fantastic.
We got lucky. Not only does she have stunning beauty, but she also has a raw power to her. When we were looking for The Engineer, he wanted somebody who had danger in them. Her eyes draw you in, but there was a lot of danger around her, and you just felt it.
I loved her as The Engineer. What they did with that stylistically was so cool; it didn’t feel to me like a girl trying to act like she was tough. She just embodied it. There was a deadliness about her that was fantastic for the role.
You have now done a whole slew of comic book projects. Are you a comic book guy?
You know, it’s funny. I end up casting these movies, and I’m not a big comic book person. Maybe that helps me.
When I read anything, I try not to attach anybody early on to my thoughts when I read a script, because my feeling is, I can’t have one person. I need 50 people, right? So, I try to leave it as open as I possibly can. I’m sure people who are comic book devotees would hate that idea, but the fact that I don’t know the history as well as a lot of people do, I like the blank slate approach.
There’s a part of the fandom that is a slave to what’s on the page, but then you don’t have Michael Keaton as Batman, or Chris Evans as Captain America or Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards. Are these movies more challenging? Is there more pressure on you because of the fandom and all the history?
The fandom definitely comes into it. You’re concerned about how the fanboys will respond. Chris [Nolan] really kept tabs on those films because you don’t want a whole segment of fans to turn on you.
It’s one reason why we try to keep everything as secret as possible; but yeah, it’s in the background. You wonder, “Are we being true to this character? Are we being true to the story that we’re telling and the history of those stories?” It’s not omnipresent, but it’s absolutely part of what you deal with.
Are these movies more fun?
I find them fun. Maybe it’s the supernatural quality of it, or the fantasy part of it, because it allows you to open your imagination.
My job is finding the essence of people and applying it to roles. Whether it’s the fun quality that Milly Alcock had for Supergirl, or Skyler’s confidence as Jimmy, or David’s innate kindness, it’s those things that you’re lining up to try and fill in.
Final Takeaways
John Papsidera, the casting director behind the new Superman reboot, shares insights into the careful and thoughtful casting process that brought this blockbuster to life. From chemistry tests to finding the right tones for iconic characters, Papsidera reveals how the team balanced fan expectations with fresh interpretations. Here are the key takeaways from his experience casting this film.
- Chemistry between actors, especially David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan, was crucial to capturing the spirit of Superman and Lois Lane.
- David Corenswet’s blend of kindness, intelligence, and subtle humor perfectly embodied the classic Superman ideal James Gunn wanted to revive.
- Nicholas Hoult’s versatility allowed him to transition from a Superman finalist to a standout Lex Luthor, showing the importance of flexibility.
- Finding the right voice and presence was key for supporting roles like Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific, reflecting James Gunn’s precise vision.
- Papsidera approaches comic book casting with a blank slate, focusing on actors’ essence rather than fan expectations or comic book history.
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