Now that Superman star David Corenswet has officially ascended to blockbuster status, fans are getting a closer look at what makes the actor tick. As it turns out, he’s not just a Star Wars fan — he’s a serious one.
In a recent episode of Royal Court with Brittany Broski, Corenswet broke down his preferred viewing order for the Skywalker Saga, and it would make even the most passionate armchair Jedi raise an eyebrow.
Corenswet’s chosen sequence? IV, V, I, II, III, VI.
That’s right, he kicks things off with A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, preserves the original trilogy’s most iconic twist (“I am your father”), and then dives into the prequels as a kind of tragic flashback before ending with Return of the Jedi.
“If you're going to introduce new people to them, you should watch them IV, V, I, II, III, VI,” Corenswet said. “You preserve the twist… then you watch I through III as a flashback, essentially. Then VI… it brings it all together. The stakes are bigger if you've seen I through III. It feels more like a saga.”
Corenswet’s viewing approach is similar to what’s known in fan circles as the Machete Order, with one major difference. He includes The Phantom Menace, which Machete loyalists choose to axe (hence the name). In Corenswet’s view, the full prequel arc gives emotional weight to Anakin Skywalker’s rise and fall, making his redemption in Episode VI hit harder. It’s certainly an intriguing take on the Skywalker saga.
Corenswet’s Star Wars love doesn’t stop at viewing orders. In a Vanity Fair lie detector test alongside Superman co-star Nicholas Hoult, he was asked if he’d rather star in a Superman sequel or play a Jedi. He chose a Jedi, specifically an X-wing pilot, which could have made him a perfect fit for the shelved Rogue Squadron.
Nonetheless, there are new Lucasfilm projects on the horizon — including Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter and James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi — that might make Corenswet’s dreams come true. He’s fresh off a major superhero success, clearly understands the Star Wars universe, and has just the kind of earnest fandom Lucasfilm has favored in recent casting decisions (see: Diego Luna, Rosario Dawson, and Amandla Stenberg).
Corenswet’s quirky viewing sequence is a legitimate conversation starter. It reframes the saga as a story that focuses less on Luke Skywalker alone, and more on an entire family across generations. It honors the original trilogy’s pacing and mystery while giving the prequels narrative significance beyond suspect scriptwriting, politics, and podraces. For newer fans introduced through Disney+ shows (I call them the “Mandalorian set”) or standalone entries like Rogue One, this viewing order offers a fresh perspective on the central conflict within the galaxy.
While David Corenswet might be wearing a cape right now, don’t be surprised if we see him piloting an X-Wing sometime soon. It’s not every day a rising A-lister comes equipped with a working knowledge of the Force and a soft spot for Return of the Jedi.
It seems impossible that Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni won’t take notice.
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