James Gunn has revealed why he cast Bradley Cooper as Superman's father Jor-El in the new DC film, citing the actor's stature and age as key factors. Cooper, best known for voicing Rocket Raccoon in Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, takes on a role famously originated by Marlon Brando in 1978.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Gunn explained his decision: '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.' He added that he wanted a younger actor, noting that Jor-El is often played by someone in their 70s, which would make him an older father.
Gunn described Cooper as a friend who did the role as a favour. The film stars David Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey gave the film four stars, praising it as a return to form for superhero movies.
Superman has performed strongly at the box office, earning $217m globally in its opening weekend, according to Variety. Its domestic opening day of $56.5m made it the second biggest earner of 2025, behind A Minecraft Movie.
