A Marvel Star Played a Key Role in Getting Rachel Brosnahan Lois Lane Role in James Gunn’s ‘Superman’

SUMMARY

• Rachel Brosnahan secured the role of Lois Lane in Superman after delivering a remarkable audition, with additional support from MCU actor Sean Gunn, who vouched for her talent and professionalism.
• Sean Gunn’s endorsement of Brosnahan, based on their brief collaboration in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, added weight to her selection.
• James Gunn’s commitment to creating harmonious sets by prioritizing "nice and hardworking people" is evident in his thorough vetting process.

James Gunn’s Superman, set to hit theaters on July 11, 2025, has already captured the attention of fans with its promising cast. Among the highlights is the selection of Rachel Brosnahan as the iconic Lois Lane. Interestingly, while the actress delivered a stellar audition for the role, it wasn’t quite the entirety of the vetting process she had to undergo.

As James Gunn proceeded to finalize the major faces in Superman, he took the advice of his younger brother and MCU actor Sean Gunn. Sean, having briefly worked with Rachel Brosnahan on the epic hit that was The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, had only glowing words for the actress.

Sean Gunn was asked whether he was involved in Rachel Brosnahan’s casting on Superman

Rachel Brosnahan as Lois. | Credits: Superman / Warner Bros.

Sean Gunn was asked about Brosnahan’s casting on The Kristian Harloff show. On whether his brother had demanded his opinion before Brosnahan’s audition, Gunn claimed that it was the other way around:

Oh, it was a little bit the other way around. What happened was, James said, he had auditioned her, and said, that her audition was just, obviously, spectacular, and he told me that.

In response, Sean revealed that he only had good things to say about Brosnahan:

And I was able to tell him, I worked with her very briefly, and thought that, not only was her work excellent, but she seemed very cool. 

Sean and Rachel Brosnahan had previously worked together in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, specifically in the Season 5 episode, The Testi-Roastial. While Brosnahan was the leading star of the show, which is rated a healthy 8.7 on IMDB, Gunn played the cameo role of John Stewart.

This brief firsthand experience gave Sean the confidence to support Brosnahan, as he went on to reveal the reason why his brother’s sets are ‘fun to work on.’

Sean Gunn reveals the one thing that sets James Gunn apart

Rachel Brosnahan. | Credits: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel / Prime Video.

James Gunn has undoubtedly garnered a reputation for creating entertaining superhero movies without inflicting on the source material. For the new DCU, he must go a few steps further and will be seen working on a plethora of characters that are darker than the ones he dealt with during his time in the MCU.

James Gunn in Inside of You podcast with Michael Rosenbaum | Credits: @InsideOfYouPodcast/YouTube

However, this does not mean that the same darkness translates to the sets. Sean Gunn revealed that his brother tends to ensure that he brings together ‘nice people,’ as well:

And I don’t think it’s a secret, coz he has talked about it, he does very deep vetting of actors because he wants to make sure they are nice people and they are hardworking people, in addition to being good actors. It’s one of the reasons why his sets run smoothly. His movies for the most part are very fun to work on because people are nice to each other and they don’t tolerate Hollywood bullshit.

Needless to say, things seem to be aligning well with respect to the upcoming Superman, set to be released in July 2025. 

Written by Rishabh Bhatnagar

Articles Published: 262

Rishabh Bhatnagar is an Entertainment and pop culture journalist/editor with Fandom Wire. He has more than 6 years of experience working for multiple major platforms and is himself an avid consumer of worthwhile content. A natural storyteller, Rishabh has a unique way with words and is always looking to improve, as a storyteller, writer, and a journalist.