James Gunn’s “Superman” Casts Crucial Role of Jonathan Kent
Veteran character actor Pruitt Taylor Vince will be taking on the role of Clark Kent’s adoptive dad, Jonathan Kent, in James Gunn’s Superman.
Jonathan Kent, aka Pa Kent, adopts Clark alongside his wife, Martha, when the infant arrives on Earth in a Kryptonian spaceship in the fields behind the Kent’s house. The last time someone took on the role was none other than Kevin Costner in Zack Snyder’s 2013 film Man of Steel. Before that, it was Glenn Flord playing Pa Kent in Richard Donner’s seminal 1978 film Superman. The Wrap scooped the Taylor Vince casting, yet another big addition to Gunn’s film.
Gunn’s upcoming Superman is the first feature to come out of the revamped DC Studios under his and Peter Safran’s leadership. It will kick off the first phase of their slate, “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters,” which will unify the DC Universe across feature films, TV, and games.
Taylor Vince joins a growing ensemble that includes David Corenswet as Clarke Kent/Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer, and Gunn’s longtime collaborator Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner.
Taylor Vince has a big TV project in the works at the moment—he’s starring in Apple TV+’s starry adaptation of Laura Lippman’s novel Lady in the Lake, which features Natalie Portman and, wait for it, David Corenswet. Taylor Vince has also appeared in Netflix’s Stranger Things, AMC’s The Walking Dead, HBO’s True Blood, and ABC’s Murder One, which netted him an Emmy.
There’s a lot going on at DC, with Superman as the most marquee title but hardly the only huge swing that Gunn and Safran are taking. “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters” will include a TV series set on Wonder Woman’s home island of Themyscira called Paradise Lost, the introduction of a new Batman in The Brave and the Bold, the film Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow starring Milly Alcock, and Swamp Thing, in development with director James Mangold, which will return the infamous monster to the big screen.
Superman will fly into theaters, including IMAX, on July 11, 2025.
For more on Superman, check out these stories:
“Superman” Getting Super-Sized: James Gunn Filming his Man of Steel Pic in IMAX
Nicholas Hoult on Becoming the New Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s “Superman”
The Daily Planet Gets a New Boss: Wendell Pierce Joins James Gunn’s “Superman”
James Gunn Reveals New Title For “Superman: Legacy” on First Day of Filming
Featured image: L-r: Featured image: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – APRIL 18: Director James Gunn attends the press conference for “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.3” at the Conrad Hotel on April 18, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images). A Superman costume from the 2013 Man of Steel film worn by Henry Cavill and designed by Michael Wilkinson and James Acheson is on display at the DC Comics Exhibition: Dawn Of Super Heroes at the O2 Arena on February 22, 2018 in London, England. The exhibition, which opens on February 23rd, features 45 original costumes, models and props used in DC Comics productions including the Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman films. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
