Watch David Corenswet embody the hero in the first teaser for the reboot

Superman flies back to the big screen.

On Thursday, December 19, director James Gunn and DC Studios premiered the first teaser trailer for Supermanwhich stars David Corenswet as Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane.

The new trailer introduces Clark Kent well after he has already embraced his role as Superman and started fighting crime on Earth. In this film, the character also often has his dog Krypto by his side. In daily life, Clark works as a reporter at the newspaper The Daily Planet.

Joining Corenswet, 31, and Brosnahan, 34, in the film’s cast are Nicholas Hoult, who portrays the villain Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Milly Alcock as Supergirl, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl and Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern, among others.

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

“What I think in some ways connects him so much to Christopher Reeve is that he has a lot of deep training,” Gunn said. “I’ve never worked in my entire life with such a strict actor. He challenged me on a daily basis to really get the most out of his character, get the most out of his story. Everything he does in the film is completely true You never have a moment to watch dailies where you go, ‘David did something that feels stupid, that doesn’t feel real, that feels like he’s faking it or he’s phoning it in.’ Never.”

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

“What I was most concerned about was casting Superman at the beginning of this process,” he added. “And after the first day I was like, ‘Oh, I think that guy’s pretty good.'”

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

“When the crew brought their kids to the set, they saw the first person, a 5-, 6-year-old kid see Superman, there’s nothing like it,” he said. “It’s amazing.”

Superman is in theaters July 11.