Since last week we’ve been counting down to the release of Superman, sharing one interview a day from our visit to the film’s set last June. The goal: to give you all an up close and exclusive look at what it took to bring Superman to life, with all of the incredible players that were involved. Today, we’re pleased to bring you our conversation with our new Lois Lane, the marvelous Rachel Brosnahan!
Lois Lane has been a staple, not just for Superman mythology, but for superhero comics as a whole, since her debut in Action Comics #1, alongside The Man of Steel, in June 1938. Not only is she tied with Superman as one of the oldest running characters in the history of comic books, but a legendary female protagonist in all of modern-day fiction. And while she, like Superman and Lex Luthor, has evolved significantly from the Golden Age to the modern era, one thing has remained absolutely central to the character: her intrepid spirit and persistence in obtaining the truth.
Lois has always been tough, shrewd, and sharp-witted (though occasionally a bad speller; something I can personally relate to). Her competitive attitude always puts her at odds with Clark Kent professionally (How can one possibly compete with a man who interviews his own alter-ego exclusively?). However, her hunger and pursuit of the truth, along with her strong moral character, have made her a natural match for Superman, as well as a target for his rogues gallery. Through all of the dangers and adventures she’s seen, she’s always made it out stronger than ever, making her the one central foundation The Last Son of Krypton can depend on when he needs strength and support.
The character has been depicted in so many legendary iterations by dozens of incredible actresses. Cinematically, Brosnahan finds herself in good company with Noel Neill, Margot Kidder, Kate Bosworth, and most recently Amy Adams. However, we cannot overlook the brilliant turns of others like Teri Hatcher, Erica Durance, Dana Delany, and most recently Elizabeth Tulloch in television and animated incarnations. Each actress has managed to place their powerful stamp on this legendary character, and now quite brilliantly, in the grand tradition of those who came before her, we’re seeing The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel herself, Brosnahan, bringing her marvelousness to the role of Lois Lane.
Here’s what she had to say about carrying on the legacy of Lois:
What can you tell us about the relationship between Lois and Clark in this movie?
Brosnahan: Yeah. What can I say? I’m just trying not to get fired… It is different, they’re at a stage of their relationship where you ask a lot of questions… But I think it’s really special. There are just so many wonderfully iconic versions of this relationship and I think this particular film is honoring the mythology and what’s come before, but it’s swinging the lens to look at it from a slightly different angle and a slightly different point in time.
Does it help to come into the story as if stuff has happened already?
I think it’s a really cool choice to do that, because it means James is really trusting the audience. But I don’t think it’s exclusionary. I don’t think it requires you to have read every Superman comic, or even know all the characters. You’re going to meet a lot of new characters, but in this world they just exist. And they’ve had various relationships with each other that you may or may not be familiar with, but I think it’s still accessible, if that makes sense.
How special was it for you on a personal level to land such an iconic role?
It was pretty mind-boggling. The Donner Superman movies are some of my favorites. Margot Kidder is an icon of mine. So I always grew up feeling like I related to this character, as someone who was hungry and ambitious. I always felt like she was funny and smart. And love was the only thing that unseated her, and that was really thrilling to watch. And so this has just been a wild and wonderful adventure.
Can you talk about Lois’s thoughts of the Superman character, and the big stories she’s working on in this movie?
She’s on her regular beat. She’s hungry for that front page always. So she’s working on a few stories. There’s a big story that unfolds over the course of the movie that she becomes embroiled in. I think she appreciates Superman’s existence, and sometimes has questions about his methodology. She’s somebody who sees around every corner and questions everything and everyone. And Superman is somebody who sometimes, in the pursuit of the greater good, is tackling the issue that’s immediately in front of him without necessarily seeing the potential ripple effect or the potential consequences that could have. And so in that regard she sometimes wishes he was a little less short-sighted in her opinion.
We often see Lois in danger. Sometimes as a damsel in distress. Do you think this version will absolutely subvert that aspect of the character?
You know, in my experience with Lois, she’s never been a damsel in distress. She’s always been so hungry and so relentless in her pursuit of the truth that she gets herself in trouble. She’s not always the most graceful in her pursuit of what’s right and just and true. So I think in that regard, we see her get herself into some pickles. And that will continue in this world as well. Again, as you would hope in a new film, there’s a slightly different angle to the sort of trouble she gets herself in. Which again, I can’t get into, or I’ll get fired. But excited for people to see this take on that kind of ambition.
Was there a moment on set where you felt you had taken ownership of Lois?
It was probably on my first day of shooting. I often have this experience where I feel like I don’t completely have a grasp of who this person is, until they call action on this first shot. You can do all the homework and have all the costume fittings, and chemistry reads. But it’s not until they call action on that first shot where you just cross your fingers and hope all that work shows up and comes out. That first day of shooting we shot a really big scene. It was nearly 10 pages long. And it was a crazy experience to finish that first day because we just shot a tenth of the movie. We dove into the deep end. There was no soft launch of this character. No shot of her in the background staring into the distance. It was a real talker of a 10-page scene. And I think after that first day, David and I looked at each other and said, “… Okay… We’re in it!” It was probably when I finished that day that I went back to my trailer, looked in the mirror, and said, “We can do this!”
What was it like when you saw him in the Superman suit for the first time?
I actually saw him in a suit — a test suit — during our chemistry reads. As we were leaving, he was trying on the suit. But I saw him on my way out, and we had just read together. And we actually only did maybe one or two takes of the scenes together. We read together really quickly. And I leaned in to say goodbye, and caught him in the mirror, not even in the suit but a version of the suit and said, “There he is!” And I’d been fairly in and out of the schedule, and he’s been here the whole time. So I had a big break recently, and came back. And there was a scene where I saw him in the suit, and I poked him on the shoulder and said, “It’s Superman dude!” And he was like “Yeah” because he’s been here the whole time and he’s used to it by now. But every once in a while I’ll see him and…it’s so crazy!
What can you tell us about your scenes with Wendell Pierce?
Oh man! I’m glad we shot them. We shot them a bit late in the process. I’ve been a fan of Wendell’s for a long time. He’s the perfect Perry. He’s tough, but fair. And getting to see him in that costume with that badge… He and Skyler and I had a lot of fun out in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. He’s perfectly cast.
After this do you think more action movies are in your future?
It’s giving me a little bit of the bug. I’ve been doing this a long time, but there’s so much about this project that’s been new for me. I had my first experience with a CGI thing that was not there. And it was a learning experience… There was no tennis ball. It was thin air. James was like “You put your hand through the thing.” And I was like, “There’s nothing there!” But yes, one of the greatest things about this job is that you get to keep learning things. No matter how old you get, no matter how many projects you do if you’re lucky, and I have been, you get to learn something brand new on every project. I’ve learned how to professionally handle pigeons, and speak a bit of sign language, and play the piano, and learned how to handle guns, and do some fighting. And invisible animals was a new one for me. So yeah! There’s still more to learn.
Was there anything you took from Mrs. Maisel and applied to this project?
They’re both confident, passionate, relentlessly ambitious women. But other than that, they’re pretty different. I had to work to slow down my pace just a little bit after many years in “Maisel-land.” But James likes it eclectic.
How does the idea that this movie kicks off a larger franchise for the long term weigh on you professionally?
I’d be so lucky… This industry is so feast or famine. I’d feel so lucky to have something as iconic as this to return to. While hopefully I have the opportunity to do other things and live in other universes and come back to this, after working on a show, I never thought I’d want to be part of something for five or six years. That felt like a lifetime to me at 26 when we started working [on Maisel]. And time flies, and you build these families that you sometimes spend more time with than you do with your own. And how lucky to basically go to summer camp every year?
How much interaction does Lois have with Lex or the other superheroes featured in this film?
Without getting fired, I have seen Nicholas. We have been here at the same time. They are aware of each other’s presence, and probably become aware of each other’s presence as the film goes on. And definitely she has interactions with a number of the other superheroes and Metahumans — at least for a brief period… I played a bit with Mister Terrific — with Edi, which as been a blast. He’s so talented and so smart, and we’ve had a lot of fun together.
Can you talk about the moments you’ve had with David’s version — not of Superman — but Clark?
Yeah. David is so smart. He just is Superman. From the very first time we read together, he embodies the complexity and also the simplicity of who Superman and Clark are. Without speaking for him, he understands the way in which they are one person! It really is a piece of inspired casting. I can’t wait for people to see this version of Superman. Because David rides that impossible line between making something his own, but also being somehow exactly what you always dreamed this person was or could be. And he’s conscious of not wanting to do an impression of any of the brilliant men who have played this role before. He’s really made it his own. But somehow, he was a little bit nervous about showing Clark. We shot Clark a little later in the process of shooting for the first time. And he really feels exactly right. It feels honest, and true, and him. But also Clark.
Can you talk about what day-to-day life — technology and how that informs the character — is like for Lois in what’s been described as a “timeless” version of The Daily Planet?
“Timeless” is a great word. I’ve been saying “evergreen.” The film feels both like it doesn’t exist in time, but also is right now. And that’s been interesting to live inside. We have some very modern technology — I have an iPhone — but it’s not the kind of technology that interferes with the dramatic storytelling. One of the big fears about iPhones is that they instantly cut off drama, and make mysteries too easy to solve. And that’s not the case here. The Daily Planet computers feel like slightly older technology. We’re honoring an old coffee system; good old fashion pots with the orange handles. She drinks coffee like a modern gal! It’s a bit of both. If you’re someone who feels so passionately about print journalism, and being a writer, which you obviously all do, at a time where people are questioning the profession’s validity and bias and need for existence, there’s something to say about choosing a print journalist in this moment. I think she’s a pen and paper gal. She knows how to use the other stuff, but nothing beats a pen and paper… The thing about Lois is she might be the character who changes the most throughout all the iterations of the Superman comics. She was a very different character in the 1930s, and the ’60s, and the ’80s, and the early ’00s. She so often represents what the ideal smart, spunky, ambitious ball-busting lady was of the time. And so we wanted to both think about what that would be today. Wearing comfortable shoes (which she was since the 1930s) but it feels real.
How would you describe how James’s vision feels?
It feels hopeful rather than explicitly comedic to me. What I love about so much of James’ movies is that they’re a real shot in the arm of hope. They remind you that the reason people love comic books is because they teach us that superheroes aren’t the only superheroes. They aren’t the only ones with important powers in this world. They remind us of the importance of courage and tenacity and interest in each other’s well being, and what it means to be in service of the greater good. And I think we can really use a shot in the arm of hope right now. A lot of these movies — for example the Nolan Batman movies were such a specific representation of these comics at a specific moment in time, and part of the reason they were so successful is because they felt like what we needed. And so the hope is that this version is the version of Superman we need right now!
And I can honestly say, I agree with Brosnahan 1,000%! Gunn’s version of Superman is exactly the one a world devoid of compassion and kindness certainly needs at this exact moment. Stay tuned for our final interview from the set of Superman tomorrow, as we bring you our conversation with the one and only Man of Steel himself, David Corenswet!
Superman hits theaters this Friday, July 11! Check out our review for the movie right here!