Highlights
Despite the dual strikes occurring in Hollywood, James Gunn is hard at work developing the next generation of DC Comics movies. His full focus is on the new Superman film starring David Corenswet as the titular hero. However, that’s not the only role Gunn announced for the upcoming adaptation. Along with the movie’s Superman, fans also learned that Gunn cast Nathan Fillion, Edi Gathegi, Isabela Merced, and Rachel Brosnahan in major roles.
Many comedy fans might remember Rachel Brosnahan from Amazon Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel which aired between 2017 and 2023. There are only so many prominent comedic roles for an actor in the Superman mythos, so who could the young actress play? While Brosnahan will definitely use some comedic skills in her Superman: Legacy role, don’t expect that to be all she’s there for. This actress is capable of much more than just comedy and her role, opposite David Corenswet’s Superman demands as much.
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Who is Rachel Brosnahan playing in Superman: Legacy?
There are a few constants in a Superman story and one of those is a romantic interest. That role went to Lana Lang in Clark Kent’s younger years with some appearances from Miss Lang in adulthood. However, the defining romantic interest for Clark Kent/Superman is the star reporter for The Daily Planet, Lois Lane. Rachel Brosnahan finds herself filling the shoes of Lois Lane, and she’s more than capable.
Lois Lane is a smart, brave, and fearless woman who is anything but a damsel in distress. She often finds herself in dangerous situations because she’s chasing down a lead, but she’s never one to rest on her laurels when something requires action. She often gets herself out of trouble or actively searches for an escape before Superman finally arrives. She’s tough as nails, going as far as putting herself in the face of danger simply to score an interview with Superman in Christopher Reeve’s Superman from 1978.
Rachel Brosnahan is joining a long list of actresses who filled the same shoes. In order for her to make her mark in the role, she will have to stand out and approach it from a different angle than her predecessors. Long-time fans remember Margot Kidder as Lois Lane from the 1978 Superman along with Erica Durance playing the part in WB’s Smallville with Tom Welling. More recently, Elizabeth Tulloch plays Lois on The CW’s Superman & Lois.
Under Gunn’s guidance and with her natural acting abilities, Brosnahan can make this role her own and prove to fans why she earned it. It’s far from her first acting credit and her past roles make for quite the resume.
Where else can you see Rachel Brosnahan?
Brosnahan is an incredibly talented 33-year-old actress who has landed role after role since 2009. Her first credit is David S. Goyer’s The Unborn where she had a small supporting part. She continued her career with small roles but on major projects such as Orange is the New Black, Grey’s Anatomy, and The Good Wife. It was not until 2014 that she landed a recurring role on the procedural thriller The Blacklist alongside seasoned veteran actor James Spader who many remember as the voice of Ultron in Marvel’s The Avengers: The Age of Ultron.
She quickly followed that up with another recurring role in Black Box along with a starring role in I’m Obsessed With You (But You’ve Got to Leave Me Alone) and The Smut Locker. However, when she found herself acting opposite Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, and Michael Kelly inNetflix’s House of Cards is when she was really on Hollywood’s radar. The political thriller received high accolades from critics and audiences alike.
From there, Rachel Brosnahan landed the lead role in Sam Shaw’s Manhattan which, if fans want more stories similar to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer,is the show to watch. It follows United States scientists in 1943 racing to build a nuclear bomb before the Germans. Brosnahan was outstanding as Abby Isaacs and really showed a hint of what she can use for Superman: Legacy’s Lois Lane. In 202, Brosnahan had the chance to work with famed director Sam Raimi in 50 States of Fright, returning her to the horror genre.
I’m Your Woman put Brosnahan front and center as a housewife who discovered her husband wasn’t who she thought he was. Her character Jean goes on the run with her infant in this crime thriller and shows she has a knack for dramas. Her most prominent role, however, goes to her character Miriam ‘Midge’ Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. This is the part that showed Rachel Brosnahan is capable of playing any part in any genre. Miriam is a 1950s housewife who finds her calling in stand-up comedy, showcasing Brosnahan’s comedic abilities and skill for portraying every and any feeling on the emotional spectrum.
Superman fans need not worry as the Lois Lane role is in good hands. Rachel Brosnahan has the potential to be this generation’s Lois Lane just as Margot Kidder remains an entire generation’s Lois Lane.
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Superman: Legacy’s Rachel Brosnahan has been around for a long time, but what else has she starred in? Read More