Superman flies back to the big screen.

On Thursday, December 19th, director James Gunn and DC Studios unveiled the first teaser trailer Supermanstarring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane.

The new trailer meets Clark Kent long after he has already accepted his role as Superman and begun fighting crime on Earth. In this film, the character also often has his dog Krypto by his side. In everyday life, Clark works as a reporter at the newspaper The Daily Planet.

In addition to Corenswet (31) and Brosnahan (34), the film’s cast includes Nicholas Hoult, who plays the villain Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Milly Alcock as Supergirl, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl and Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern.

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On Monday, December 16, PEOPLE attended a special preview event for the trailer, where Gunn, 58, said Corenswet had “such a Superman face” during a moderated discussion.

“What I think ties him so closely to Christopher Reeve in some ways is that he has a broad education,” Gunn said. “I have never worked with such a demanding actor in my life. He challenged me every day to get the most out of his character, to get the most out of his story. Everything he does in the movie is completely true.” You don’t even have a moment to look at newspapers saying, “David did something that feels stupid, that doesn’t feel real, that feels Feels like he’s faking it or calling “Never.”

Gunn also noted that he received Brosnahan and Corenswet’s taped auditions “on our very first casting day” for the previously titled film Superman: Legacy.

“What worried me most was the casting of Superman early in this process,” he added. “And after the first day I thought, ‘Oh, I think this guy is pretty good.’ ”

Corenswet said during the discussion that his portrayal of Clark Kent and Superman struck Kent early in his career as a reporter at the newspaper The Daily Planet. The actor noted that the most exciting thing on set was watching crew members and their families see him in character.

“When people on the crew bring their kids to the set and see in first person how a five- or six-year-old child sees Superman, there’s nothing like it,” he said. “It’s amazing.”

Superman hits theaters on July 11th.