Bradley Cooper Is Reportedly Playing Jor-El in ‘Superman’

James Gunn’s Superman is set to kick off the new DC Universe theatrically, and it sounds like there are still more surprises in store. For one, Bradley Cooper is reportedly set to play Jor-El, Superman’s biological father, in the film.

The film had a very recent test screening, and more news is coming out about it. While unclear how big the role of Jor-El is at the time, it has been reported that he will pop up in the film by insider Vieweranon on Reddit. 

If you didn’t know, Jor-El is Kal-El’s father, who dies when Krypton explodes. Luckily, he is able to get Kal, his son, off the planet in a spaceship that eventually lands on Earth, where he is found by Jonathan and Martha Kent in Kansas. He is named Clark Kent and eventually becomes the iconic Man of Tomorrow, Superman. 

Jor-El usually comes in the story in both comics and film at the start, where he sends off Kal-El as Krypton dies, and also when Clark finally gets a hold of the alien spaceship he landed in. He usually also appears as a hologram of sorts in the Fortress of Solitude to help Superman understand his purpose.

James Gunn has repeatedly stated that Superman is not an origin story, so we may not see the destruction of Krypton. However, the Fortress of Solitude does seem to play a role in some part of the film. That’s likely where we will see Bradley Cooper appear as the character. 

Bradley Cooper is not close to being the first high-profile actor to play this character. Marlon Brando played Jor-El in Superman (1978) and Superman II, while Russell Crowe played the character in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel.

There have been a whole lot of other iterations of the character and his story in comics, animation, and live action, but Bradley Cooper will be the latest attempt at the character.

More information on the test screenings includes some differing reports about the film’s quality. Insider Daniel Richtman revealed on Twitter that there was a test screening and that the audience loved it from what he had heard.

Vieweranon, on the other hand, revealed on Reddit that the buzz he had heard wasn’t nearly as glowing as Daniel had claimed. 

“Just to keep expectations in check, the response I heard directly from Warner Bros. was decidedly less glowing than Daniel’s post. Not to say it went terribly, but it’s a divisive film with a particularly silly tone. Some people click with it, some seem to bounce right off.”

Do keep in mind, test screenings are not the end-all be-all. They are very much subject to their audience in many ways. While studios do try their best to find the perfect audience, it’s hard to know whether the buzz we hear is truly accurate or not. There are a lot of movies that didn’t get good test screenings that ended up being critically acclaimed, and there are also some films considered bad that ended up with very high test screening scores.

It’s also notable that test screenings are meant to improve the film. A lot of stuff is thrown into screening cuts just to gauge the audience and the reception.

James Gunn’s Superman has been the talk of the town for a few months now. A lot rides on the shoulders of the film, ranging from the DCU itself to Warner Bros. Pictures overall. It will determine the future of the studio in no uncertain terms. Warner will do its best to put the best product it can on screen, likely taking the feedback from these test screenings to heart.

Superman stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent / Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt / Mister Terrific, Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason / Metamorpho, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner / Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Bradley Cooper as Jor-El. The film is set to release in theaters on July 11th, 2025. 

Thanks for reading this article about Bradley Cooper as Jor-El in James Gunn’s Superman. If you liked this article, make sure to check out more here at Feature First.