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Yes, Bradley Cooper is in the new Superman film! Here's how director James Gunn convinced him to do it
Missed the first few minutes of Superman? You might’ve missed Bradley Cooper's cameo. Here’s how the unexpected Marvel-to-DC jump happened
So you were a few minutes late to the new Superman movie, and now your feed is full of Bradley Cooper posts, claiming he was the best part of the whole film. No, this is not a drill! The Hangover actor did make a cameo in James Gunn's most anticipated superhero film yet, and not as a quirky sidekick or a surprise villain. Instead, Cooper stepped into the iconic role of Jor-El, Superman’s (David Corenswet's) Kryptonian father, a part first played by Marlon Brando in the 1978 classic. The internet quickly lit up with confused reactions. Since when does Cooper do superhero cameos? And why this one?
A nod to Brando
Director James Gunn, 58, addressed the unexpected casting in a recent chat with Entertainment Tonight, saying he specifically had Brando’s performance in mind when choosing Cooper, 50. “I needed somebody who could play Jor-El, who had the stature of what we imagine that character to be,” Gunn explained. “Somebody that could walk in the footsteps of Marlon Brando.” And Cooper, it seems, was up for the challenge.
The two have worked together before. Cooper was the voice behind Rocket Raccoon in Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, back when Gunn was more of a Marvel prodigy than the DC co-head. Their professional bond clearly runs deep, enough that Gunn didn’t hesitate to call in a favour. “He’s a friend,” Gunn said. “We’ve stayed in close contact since the Guardians movies, and I admire him greatly as an actor and as a director.”
Gunn recalled picking up the phone and asking Cooper, “Hey, will you do me a favour? Come down, go to England, we’re going to shoot you in a 3D environment, make a hologram of you, and you can play Jor-El.” And just like that, Cooper was in.
About the new Superman movie
While Cooper’s cameo might have surprised viewers, the rest of the cast is a powerhouse lineup: David Corenswet takes on the role of Superman, with Nicholas Hoult as the evil genius Lex Luthor. Rachel Brosnahan stars as punk rock journalist Lois Lane, alongside Skyler Gisondo (Jimmy Olsen), Anthony Carrigan (Metamorpho), Edi Gathegi (Mister Terrific), Nathan Fillion (Guy Gardner), and Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl). The film was released in theatres on July 11.
