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James Gunn Reveals SUPERMAN Role for Major GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Actor

Originally posted on Nerdist | By Eric Diaz | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 5:57 PM ET

James Gunn is one of those directors who loves working with the same actors time and time again. So it wasn’t a surprise to learn that some of his former Guardians of the Galaxy stars like Pom Klementieff Nathan Fillion, and Michael Rooker have roles in Superman. But now Gunn has confirmed, in an interview with Jake’s Takes (via Comic Book), that one of the principal actors in the Guardians series will have a small role in Superman . Gunn confirmed what was rumored for months, that Bradley Cooper will play Jor-El, Superman’s Kryptonian father, in the film. Here’s what Gunn had to say about the Rocket Raccoon voice actor and Oscar nominee landing a Superman role:

Really, Bradley’s just doing me a favor. 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. I just said, ‘Hey, will you do me a favor? 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. He was like, ‘Okay.’

The fact that Gunn is comfortable talking about this with press means this isn’t some big reveal in the movie. Oh, and if you’re wondering how Jor-El can appear in a Superman movie that’s not an origin story? Gunn mentioning holograms means he’s going to be the AI version of Jor-El that exists in the Fortress of Solitude. That aspect of Jor-El has been around since Superman: The Movie in 1978, and the comics later adopted it. This puts Bradley Cooper in pretty great company, as previous cinematic Jor-Els have included Marlon Brando and Russell Crowe. Both actors won Oscars, so maybe this bodes well for Cooper finally getting his statue. It seems playing Superman’s dad equals Oscar gold.