The Viral Supergirl Cup Has Reached David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult – and Their Reactions Say It All

Movie marketing has entered an era where a trailer isn’t always the thing that gets people talking. Sometimes it’s a popcorn bucket. Sometimes it’s a novelty drink cup. And every once in a while, it’s a piece of promotional merchandise that goes viral for reasons no one involved could have predicted.

That’s exactly what happened with AMC’s now-infamous Supergirl collectible cup.

Originally designed to resemble Kara Zor-El’s blue suit and tan jacket from the upcoming DC film, the cup quickly became the subject of countless jokes across social media. Fans pointed out that the color placement created an unfortunate optical illusion, and once the internet settled on the comparison, there was no putting the genie back in the bottle.

Now, the joke has officially reached the people starring in DC’s new cinematic universe.

David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult Couldn’t Hide What They Were Thinking

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the outlet showed Superman stars David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult the now-viral cup. Their reactions were immediate, and refreshingly unscripted.

“I don’t like that one bit,” Corenswet said after seeing the design. Hoult, meanwhile, leaned into the moment with, “I need a lot of those.” As Corenswet admitted he didn’t want anyone explaining the internet’s interpretation, Hoult jokingly started to spell it out before Corenswet quickly shut him down with an emphatic, “No, no no no no.”

It’s a short exchange, but it’s funny because it feels genuine. Neither actor needed to overplay the joke. They recognized exactly what millions of people online had already noticed, and they echoed the same reaction that turned the cup into a viral sensation.

The Internet Has a Way of Choosing the Marketing

Studios spend months planning promotional campaigns. Editors meticulously cut trailers. Marketing teams scrutinize posters. Studios create exclusive merchandise to build excitement before opening weekend. But the internet doesn’t always cooperate.

Instead of becoming another collectible for DC fans, the Supergirl cup became a meme. It spread across X, TikTok, Reddit, and entertainment news sites, with users making the same observation again and again until the design became impossible to see any other way.

That’s become increasingly common with blockbuster releases. Themed concession items have evolved from simple souvenirs into marketing events of their own, with fans often discussing them almost as much as the movies they’re promoting.

Sometimes that’s intentional. Sometimes, as this case demonstrates, it’s completely accidental. Either way, people are talking.

Sometimes the Best Marketing Can’t Be Planned

Whether DC Studios or AMC would have preferred the conversation to focus elsewhere is anyone’s guess. But it’s difficult to argue with the amount of attention the cup has received.

By the time Corenswet and Hoult were laughing about it, the collectible had already become one of the most recognizable pieces of Supergirl marketing. That’s no small feat considering the film had also released trailers, posters, and other promotional merchandise ahead of its theatrical debut.

Ironically, the actors’ reactions may have given the cup an even longer life online. Fans aren’t just sharing photos of the design anymore – they’re also sharing the interview clip, with Corenswet’s visible discomfort and Hoult’s mischievous humor becoming part of the joke.

The Supergirl cup won’t go down as a masterpiece of product design, but it has already carved out its place among the internet’s most unintentionally viral pieces of movie merchandise. And judging by David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult’s reactions, even the stars of DC’s new era couldn’t help but laugh once they saw what everyone else had been talking about.

(feature image: Warner Bros.)

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]