DC fans were already excited for James Gunn to direct Superman: Legacy, but they’re absolutely champing at the bit over rumors of Rachel Brosnahan portraying the iconic Lois Lane. At first glance, one might wonder what makes her such a perfect fit for the role. The award-winning actress made appearances in shows like Gossip Girl and CSI: Miami before becoming making her claim to fame as Rachel Posner in House of Cards. Her follow-up performance as Abby Isaacs in Manhattan put her on the map, but she literally stole the show as Miriam “Midge” Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
So, what does this have to do with Brosnahan’s perfect casting in the role of Lois Lane? The actress has proven twice over that she has the range. She can be funny. She can deliver a heart-wrenching monologue. She has a knack for playing characters who know their way around sketchy rich folks with a tendency toward bad behavior. She has especially proven her ability to steal the scene even when she’s not in focus. That sounds like someone who was born to portray Lois Lane in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy.
What is Lois Lane like in the comics?
Let’s be honest: there is no Superman without Lois Lane. She’s been by his side since 1938 when Superman made his official debut in Action Comics #1. Writer Jerry Siegel based Lois’ characterization on Glenda Farrell’s Torchy Blane, a spunky reporter from the late 1930s with a passion for sleuthing. Sound familiar? Lois achieved the almost-impossible task of establishing herself as both an investigative reporter and a love interest throughout the Superman comics.
But she had to dodge many attempts to pigeonhole her into lazy, sexist stereotypes in the process. For example, Lois made multiple attempts to trick Superman into marriage only to fall into pitiful sobs at each rejection. Then editor Dorothy Woolfolk joined the DC writing team in 1972 and her feminist sensibilities gave the world the Lois of today. If the rumors about Brosnahan’s casting as Lois in Superman: Legacy are true, it’s this modern version of the character she’ll be bringing to the screen. Nevertheless, Lois has always had a nose for a good story. There are just some things about the character that have never changed.
For the most part, Lois has always been the Pulitzer-prize-winning investigative reporter for the Daily Planet. Superman turns to her for answers because she’s the best at gathering intel around Metropolis. She eventually married Clark Kent, and it had nothing to do with him being tricked. Instead, he fell in love, and she became one of the few people he trusts with his secret identity as Superman. Lois can be a stubborn hardnose, traits she most likely developed as a military brat and daughter of General Sam Lane. There’s no stopping Lois when she’s on the trail of a hot story and the comics have always shown her as having the guts to chase the truth even when it puts her in harm’s way.
With Brosnahan’s potential casting in Superman: Legacy, fans are hopeful these traits will continue to make their way into the live-action portrayals of the famous reporter. Lois’ proximity to Superman has always put a target on her back from otherworldly villains to street-level thugs, and even Lex Luthor himself. She’s been bold enough to target them right back with the power of her mighty pen. Although, it probably helps to have Superman at her beck and call. Fans have no doubt in Brosnahan’s ability to capture Lois’ infamous moxy.
The Rachel Brosnahan role that proves she's perfect
Recent casting reports still haven’t identified who will play Superman's sidekick Jimmy Olsen, but they have put Brosnahan in the running for portraying Lois Lane in Superman: Legacy. She’s not famous for playing reporters and voicing Officer Wendy Beckett in Spies in Disguise is the closest she’s gotten to crime-solving in a fictional setting. Ironically, though, Brosnahan’s work as the lovable Midge in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel put her on the radar for James Gunn’s new Superman movie. Midge is a quirky, Jewish-American housewife whose recent divorce literally leads her to the world of stand-up comedy.
She gets drunk after her husband leaves her for his secretary, walks onto the stage at The Gaslight Café, and exudes such relatability that the audience doesn’t care that she came out of nowhere. All they know is how much Midge makes them laugh. While Lois is the bravest Superman character in many ways, she would probably never attempt to be a comedian. Yet, she would definitely be brave enough to take on a drunken crowd while being inebriated herself and find a way to make them fall in love with her. After all, journalism is about connecting with an audience which Brosnahan proves she can do as easily as breathing and that’s why she’d be perfect as Lois.
While DC fans can’t help but speculate over the casting rumors, Brosnahan has avoided any direct confirmation. Naturally, this has only driven them into a frenzy to prove why she would make the best Lois. She recently went on the daytime talk show The View and said the opportunity to bring Lois to life “would be extraordinary”. Brosnahan went on to describe growing up with Lois as a role model and seeing her as “this incredibly talented journalist who is far from a damsel in distress”.
Brosnahan cheekily added that she would “jump [at the chance to take on the role of Lois in Superman: Legacy] if it arose”. Her denial would be more believable if fans hadn’t heard it before from other actors caught up in casting rumors. DC alum Ben Affleck was just as vague about his potential return as Batman, only to delight fans with his appearance in The Flash. Brosnahan is an award-winning actress whose body of work speaks to her willingness to try new things. Many are hoping that her career path will eventually lead her straight into the superhero genre.
Superman: Legacy is currently scheduled to premiere in theaters on July 11, 2025.