Superman Director James Gunn Explains why Bradley Cooper is the Perfect Jor-El

James Gunn’s Superman has flown into theaters in spectacular form, dominating the box office. While fans were pleased to see Superman’s Kryptonian father, Jor-El, make a small appearance in the movie, they wondered why he was played by Bradley Cooper instead of someone older. Now, director James Gunn has explained why he decided Cooper would be a perfect fit for the role.

The Importance of Superman’s Father

The most iconic portrayal of Jor-El was unquestionably Marlon Brando in the Christopher Reeve Superman films. He gave the character a majesty and dignity that would be the comparison point for all future portrayals. Gunn says that for his Superman, he wanted Jor-El to have majesty and “gravitas,” but he didn’t want him to automatically bring Brando’s portrayal to mind. As Gunn explained in a Deadline interview:

“Well, Bradley’s a friend of mine, and I needed somebody who could play Jor-El . . . And I don’t think this is a spoiler, everybody knows about this, [but I wanted someone] who had the stature of what we imagine that character being, somebody who could walk in the footsteps of Marlon Brando.”

From Rocket Raccoon to Jor-El

Bradley Cooper is best known for voicing Rocket Raccoon, the wisecracking, cynical space raccoon in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. When one looks at Rocket, one doesn’t automatically think of Superman’s wise old father. However, Gunn didn’t feel that this was a hindrance. As he stated:

“A lot of times, Jor-El is played by a 70-year-old man and that means he was 70 when he had a baby, so I wanted somebody that wasn’t too old. Everyone was bringing up all these actors that were too old for me. I think Bradley was perfect, he did it for me as a favor because he’s my friend, and I really appreciated him doing it.”

Indeed, a younger Jor-El helps add an extra sense of tragedy to Krypton’s destruction. When Jor-El is younger, his life is cut short, adding further pathos to the fact that he can’t see his son grow up.

How Much Did Superman Make at the Box Office?

Superman opened to $122 million at the US box office. It currently has an 83% critic score and a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, showing that this reboot of the character might be destined to be a classic. Perhaps in the future, audiences will think of Bradley Cooper when they think of Jor-El instead of Marlon Brando.