Superman Doesn’t Deserve the Hate: David Corenswet’s Masculinity Take Isn’t Misogyny — And Henry Cavill Fans Agree
Superman star David Corenswet is being slammed as misogynist after a buzzy Actors on Actors chat with Jonathan Bailey — and as clips of their kissing conversation ricochet across social media, a wave of fans is pushing back, saying he doesn’t deserve the pile-on.
Quick catch-up: David Corenswet sat down with Jonathan Bailey for Variety's 'Actors on Actors,' and one clumsy line about masculinity during flying-kiss scenes lit up social media. Some people heard misogyny; others heard him describing a stereotype. Here is what actually went down, why folks are mad, and how it ties back to his take on Superman.
The levitating kiss thing
Both actors just did mid-air romance. Corenswet's Superman kisses Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane while floating. In Wicked, Bailey's Prince Fiyero kisses Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba as she lifts him up. Different power dynamics, same gravity-defying smooch.
Corenswet told Bailey that being the person getting carried is the tougher acting challenge, because of how audiences read it. He framed it like this:
"Every man out there would think there is no way you look masculine and powerful and in control when you are being levitated by a woman."
Bailey answered, dry as ever: "My greatest privilege." Corenswet added that Bailey "somehow maintained [his] masculinity."
Why people pounced
The wording did Corenswet no favors. The clip ricocheted across X, where the same 20 seconds were read in two totally different ways: either as a dated take on masculinity or as an attempt to call out that dated take. Representative reactions:
- Nitin Singh (@Kohlliers, Dec 7, 2025) shared the clip and mocked the idea that being "carried by a woman" requires a pat on the back for staying masculine.
- @eyeoracle1 (Dec 7, 2025) felt Corenswet was trying to say masculinity is not one thing, but agreed the wording was rough.
- @iko_nicho (Dec 8, 2025) questioned why "you maintained your masculinity" should be a compliment in the first place.
- @shelfsemporium (Dec 7, 2025) argued people were misreading him, saying his point was that masculinity is not about power and control.
- @howdywolfman (Dec 7, 2025) defended the comment as describing how society views that image, not endorsing it.
- @gatchimon (Dec 7, 2025) pointed out he was talking actor physicality on set, not issuing a grand statement about gender roles.
The bigger picture: is his Superman toxic? Not really
Separate from the clip discourse, therapist and critic Jonathan Decker at Cinema Therapy made the case that Corenswet's Clark is the opposite of toxic. He highlights a few things:
Clark actually says what he feels to Lois. He is clear about where he is at emotionally, which gives her room to figure out her own feelings without guessing what he is thinking. Decker also credits Jonathan and Martha Kent for the character's gentleness and regard for life, drawing a line between "powers from Krypton" and "values from Kansas." And in James Gunn's film, Superman fights because he has to, not because he wants to. As Decker puts it, healthy masculinity in a fight is defensive, not aggressive.
Gunn himself has been vocal about this version of the character. At a press event, he said the hero represents "the basic kindness of human beings," which he admits some "darker voices" might call uncool right now.
About that mid-air kiss: Corenswet vs. Gunn (creatively, not bloodsport)
Corenswet also told Bailey he and Gunn went back and forth on a tiny moment in the floating Lois-and-Clark kiss. Corenswet laughs when Lois says "I love you, too." Gunn initially wanted it serious. His note was basically: "It is not working. It needs to be solemn." Corenswet pushed back: the whole idea, in his mind, was "I f**king know that you love me."
They reportedly had a few of these creative debates during production. Corenswet gives Gunn the win column overall — "He was right on 90 percent of everything" — but the laugh stayed in, and it made the final cut.
So, where does that leave the 'misogynist' label?
From the full conversation, it sounds like Corenswet was trying to unpack a stereotype about how audiences read a man being lifted by a woman, not lay down a rule for what masculinity should be. He said it awkwardly, and the internet did what the internet does. Meanwhile, plenty of fans still enjoyed watching him and Bailey geek out about the craft.
Superman is streaming on HBO Max. Wicked is streaming on Prime Video.
What did you hear in that clip — a bad take, bad phrasing, or a fair point said poorly? Drop your read below.