He might not wear a cape around Bryn Mawr, but David Corenswet is still flying high, writes Rosa Cartagena for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The 32-year-old actor from Philly and the Main Line takes center stage this week as the new Superman in director James Gunn’s highly anticipated reboot.

Corenswet graduated from Juilliard and cut his teeth on Philadelphia theater stages. He won the iconic role thanks to a mix of talent, charm, and sincerity. Gunn said he saw his Clark Kent the moment auditions began, and was won over completely by Corenswet’s heartfelt handwritten note about what the role meant to him.

Now, Corenswet’s Superman is drawing early praise for bringing vulnerability and heart to the role. He’s not the stoic, flawless version of old. Instead, he’s a little goofy, deeply kind, and unmistakably human. He even loses his temper when his beloved dog, Krypto, is kidnapped.

Gunn calls him “the biggest movie star in the world, and people don’t know it yet.” Critics seem to agree.

Adding to the local pride? Jenkintown native, Bradley Cooper, makes a cameo as Superman’s Kryptonian father, Jor-El.

Learn more about David Corenswet and his Bryn Mawr roots in the Philadelphia Inquirer.