Phoebe Dynevor is opening up about auditioning for — and subsequently losing out on — the role of Lois Lane in DC’s upcoming Superman: Legacy film.
“It was a whirlwind and then I realized that it was over, but it was great,” Dynevor, 28, told Variety in an interview published on Wednesday, January 3, noting that Lois Lane is exactly the type of character she wants to play in future projects. “She saves Superman. She’s the brains; she’s actually the fearless one.”
During her auditions, Dynevor made it to the final round of contenders, with Rachel Brosnahan ultimately nabbing the role. The film will also star David Corenswet as Superman, with Nicholas Hoult portraying Lex Luthor, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
The movie is set to hit theaters on July 11, 2025, with DC’s CEO James Gunn serving as both director and writer for the film.
“Superman: Legacy is the true foundation of our creative vision for the DC Universe. Not only is Superman an iconic part of DC lore, he is also a favorite character for comic book readers, viewers of earlier movies, and fans around the world,” Gunn shared during the DCU slate announcement in January 2023. “I can’t wait to introduce our version of Superman who audiences will be able to follow and get to know across films, movies, animation and gaming.”
Later that month, cochair of DC Studios Peter Safran told The Hollywood Reporter that Superman: Legacy will not be an “origin story” but rather focuses on Superman “balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing.”
“He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way,” Safran explained. “He is kindness in a world that thinks that kindness is old-fashioned.”
While Dynevor may not be playing Lois Lane in Superman’s latest iteration, she has plenty on the horizon to keep her busy. In addition to her two upcoming movies, Inheritance and Anniversary, she recently starred as Emily in Netflix’s 2023 mystery Fair Play and as Daphne in the first two seasons of the streaming service’s hit period romance Bridgerton.
Bridgerton hit Netflix on Christmas Day in 2020, quickly becoming Netflix’s most-watched series to date. While speaking to Variety, Dynevor revealed that she had planned to take a break from acting before the show catapulted her into the spotlight.
“I’ve wanted to quit this industry a lot,” she said, before admitting that “in hindsight” her “hiatus from acting probably wouldn’t have lasted very long.”
“It’s my only thing, really,” she added. “There is no Plan B.”
While season 1 of Bridgerton focused on Daphne’s love story with the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), Dynevor had a smaller role for season 2 as the series followed Daphne’s brother Anthony’s (Jonathan Bailey) relationship with Kate Sharma (Simone Bailey). Last year, Dynevor confirmed that she would not appear in season 3 at all — but that doesn’t mean she’s exited the show for good.
“Sadly not in season 3. Potentially in the future,” she told Screen Rant in January 2023 when asked about future “exciting dynamics” for Daphne in new episodes. “But season 3, I’m just excited to watch as a viewer.”
