‘The White Lotus’ Star Patrick Schwarzenegger Auditioned for James Gunn’s ‘Superman’

The DC Universe is about to introduce David Corenwswet as the Man of Steel when Superman flies into theaters on July 11. But before the Pearl star got the role, several other high-profile actors auditioned for the part – including Patrick Schwarzenegger. The actor and son of Arnold Schwarzenegger currently stars in Season 3 of HBO’s The White Lotus, and even has another superhero franchise under his belt, having appeared in the first season of Prime Video’s Gen V. But as Schwarzenegger recalls, he came close to adding the DCU to his increasingly impressive filmography.

During an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused, Patrick Schwarzenegger recalled his failed audition to play Superman in James Gunn’s rebooted DCU. “I don’t think I got any feedback,” Schwarzenegger said of his audition. “I think it was like, ‘No, not for you.'” The actor revealed he didn’t make it past the first stage of auditions and didn’t even get to try on the costume.

James Gunn Shares Snowy New Look at ‘Superman’ for One Year Anniversary

The director has posted a new image of David Corenswet’s Superman.

However, Schwarzenegger said he wasn’t too upset as he got the role in The White Lotus‘ third season “right after” his failed Superman audition. In the HBO series, Schwarzenegger plays Saxton, the Ratliff family’s eldest son, who works for his father’s shady company and is desperate to sleep with any woman at the resort (potentially even his own sister). We’re currently three episodes into The White Lotus Season 3 and fans are loving the new season, aside from the controversial change to its theme song.

‘Superman’ Swoops Into Theaters This Summer

James Gunn’s Superman is arguably one of the most anticipated movies of the year, along with the MCU’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Alongside David Corenswet, Superman also stars Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Nathan Fillion, Milly Alcock, Isabela Merced, Frank Grillo, Sara Sampaio, Anthony Carrigan, Edi Gathegi, and so, so many more. The first trailer for Superman was released just before Christmas and showcased the many DC Comics characters that will appear in the film.

One of the few characters we have yet to see is Milly Alcock’s Supergirl, who will debut in Superman before leading her own standalone movie, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. The Supergirl movie recently became the second DC Studios movie to officially start production and is set to be released on June 26, 2026.

Superman and Woman of Tomorrow will also lay the groundwork for an eventual Justice League-esque team-up, according to Gunn and DC Studios co-president Peter Safran. This was announced at a recent DC Studios press conference, where Gunn and Safran revealed that there is currently a six-year plan for the DC Universe, which will culminate with a giant team-up movie. “It isn’t like they’re chapters of an overall story,” Gunn cautiously said. “They’re characters that are part of an overall story.” While DC has yet to formally announce a team-up, it is expected that the first DCU ensemble film will involve the Justice League. However, Gunn is known for embracing the lesser-known characters from comic book lore, so there is a chance that one of the older DC teams, like the Justice Society of America or the Titans, could be the first big DCU team.

Source: Happy Sad Confused