Why Bradley Cooper Plays Jor-El In James Gunn's Superman

One surprising cameo in Superman was Bradley Cooper in the role of Jor-El, but it actually makes a lot of sense for James Gunn to cast him. One of the most integral parts of the Superman story is his father, Jor-El. A pivotal moment for the superhero is Superman’s life beginning on Krypton, with the young Kal-El then sent away as an infant.

Previously, Marlon Brando and Russell Crowe have played Superman’s father in live-action, which reflects just how important this role is that such incredible talent has been tagged to play the part. And despite the character taking on a slightly different role in Superman, Bradley Cooper’s casting was perfect.

Bradley Cooper And James Gunn Have A History Of Working Together

Rocket Raccoon flying ship in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

The first point to consider is the fact that Bradley Cooper has a long-standing relationship with James Gunn. The two have collaborated repeatedly when working on the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, due to Gunn casting Cooper as Rocket Raccoon. Evidently, this means the two have a working relationship.

And over the course of more than 10 years, they have collaborated repeatedly on these projects with at least three solo MCU films and a Christmas special. So, filling in a role like this simplistic recorded message from Jor-El makes sense for Gunn’s DCU to have a reliable actor tackle the part.

However, it isn’t just a pre-existing relationship that made Cooper a perfect choice to play Jor-El in the DCU.

James Gunn Explained Casting Bradley Cooper As Jor-El In Superman

Bradley Cooper as Phil on a pay phone in The Hangover

Beyond their working relationship, Bradley Cooper is a tremendous actor in his own right. He’s been nominated for 12 Oscars over the course of his career, and his ability to tackle a variety of roles is proven through his body of work.

On top of this, James Gunn went into more detail about precisely why he cast Bradley Cooper in the role of Jor-El when speaking with ET.

Bradley is a friend of mine, and I needed somebody who could play Jor-El … who had the stature of what we imagine that character being. Somebody who could walk in the footsteps of Marlon Brando. But I also didn’t want to have, you know, 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, you know, too old. Like everyone was bringing up all these actors that were too old for me. So, I think that Bradley was perfect.

Gunn clarified that his vision for Jor-El was always someone younger than in previous adaptations. And the points he raises for why make perfect sense.

With that in mind, it makes sense for Gunn to choose an actor like Cooper, who has an illustrious career backing him up, but fits the mold he had envisioned for Jor-El as a character. Rather than being an elderly gentleman from Krypton, this is a young man who has just had his first child.

Cooper fits the mold for this type of character, and his performance, though brief, is an integral part of the story that helps to trigger the rest of the events. James Gunn made the right call, enlisting Bradley Cooper and placing him in this important position in Superman.