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Did James Gunn cast the perfect Jor-El? The Superman director reveals the hidden meaning behind the DC Universe’s first shocking cameo.
READERS BEWARE! The following article contains major spoilers for Superman continue forward at your own risk!
One can’t say the DC Universe didn’t his the ground running. The opening scene of Superman was something of beauty, showing the vulnerability of a defeated Man of Steel being taken back to the Fortress of Solitude by his superdog. The scene was also where James Gunn stuck almost every cameo he could, with common co-stars like Michael Rooker and Alan Tudyk playing Superman’s robots. However, perhaps the most stunning cameo of them all was Bradley Cooper as Jor-El.
This cameo didn’t come completely out of nowhere. Every few months leading up to the release of Superman the rumor of Bradley Cooper playing Jor-El would surface. However, it mostly got lost in the slush of other rumors until just a few days before the film would release. This is because an outlet accidentally released an interview with James Gunn discussing Superman early, with one of the main questions revolving around Cooper being cast as the DC Universe’s first father.
James Gunn Speaks On Jor-El Casting
However, it doesn’t seem that Bradley Cooper was cast as Jor-El just so James Gunn could give a cameo to his friend. (Well, that wasn’t the ONLY reason). The director broke down his decision to bring Cooper into the DC Universe in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, explaining that he needed an actor that would live up to the performance given by Marlon Brando in the original Superman film.
“I needed somebody who could play Jor-El, who had the stature of what we imagine that character to be. Somebody that could walk in the footsteps of Marlon Brando,” Gunn explained. “He’s a friend. We’ve stayed in close contact since the Guardians movies, and I admire him greatly as an actor and as a director.”
While Bradley Cooper is likely far from the first actor many would picture for Jor-El, the cameo works for James Gunn’s much younger, bolder take on a DC Universe. It’s currently unclear if the actor will appear in future projects beyond Superman, with some already speculating that Gunn is setting up the Doomsday Clock storyline with Mr. Oz. However, even if Cooper doesn’t return, it’s clear he made the impact that the director was hoping for.
Superman is now playing in theaters. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
