James Gunn's search for Superman comes down to three actors, reports say

The next Superman is soon to be revealed, with James Gunn narrowing his search down to three final candidates.

Superman Legacy, the next film featuring the Man of Steel in a lead role, is set to be released in two years' time.

With time ticking away for filming to commence, the roles of Superman and Lois Lane need to be cast soon.

However, the cape is soon to be worn by a new actor, as three final contenders have been chosen.

Warner Bros

Borys Kit, reporter for The Hollywood Reporter, confirmed the news as he tweeted: "'Nicholas Hoult, David Corenswet and Tom Brittney,' for Superman, and: 'Emma Mackey, Phoebe Dynevor and Rachel Brosnahan,” for Lois Lane.'"

The contenders to play Superman and his alter-ego Clark Kent vary in terms of their degree of notability.

Nicholas Hoult is fairly well established as an actor, having appeared in the X-Men series, The Menu and most recently Renfeld, with Nicolas Cage.

Brittney, on the other hand, has appeared in a few episodes of Outlander but has otherwise been limited to dramas on the BBC and ITV.

Corenswet has appeared in a few films, such as Pearl alongside Mia Goth, and is set to star in Twister 2, which boasts a cast of familiar faces.

Hoult has form when it comes to narrowly missing out on big roles, as he had previously auditioned for the part of Batman, which ultimately went to Robert Pattison.

Warner Bros

Reflecting on the near miss to The Guardian, Hoult said: "I screen-tested for Batman and didn’t get it.

"Screen-tested for Top Gun, didn’t get it.

"Then I got the call from Tom Cruise: ‘Hey, how about Mission Impossible?'

"Ok. Got it."

Unfortunately, Hoult didn't get the part in Top Gun either.

If he misses out on Superman, it might be time for him to consider whether he broke a mirror at some point or if somebody has hexed him.

This casting news comes in the aftermath of the release of The Flash, which starred Ezra Miller in the title role.

The controversial star avoided doing press to promote the long-anticipated film, after continued coverage of their legal issues over the past year.

Despite the controversy, the film has been hailed as one of the 'greatest superhero films' by Gunn himself.

Speaking to Variety earlier this year, Gunn said: "I will say here that Flash is probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made."