James Gunn's Superman Casts Pa Kent

James Gunn's Superman reboot has reportedly cast another major role. On Tuesday, a report from The Wrap indicated that character actor Pruitt Taylor Vince has been cast as Jonathan Kent, the adopted father of Clark Kent / Superman (David Corenswet), in Superman. The film, which is written and directed by Gunn, is currently in production for a 2025 release date. Taylor Vince is known for a wide array of performances in projects such as Stranger Things, Birdbox, Heroes: Reborn, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and The Walking Dead. 

Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1939's Superman #1, Jonathan "Pa" Kent is a farmer in Smallville, Kansas. He and his wife Martha adopt the infant Kal-El when he crash lands on Earth from Krypton, and raise him as their son. The character of Jonathan Kent has been portrayed in live-action multiple times, including Glenn Ford in Superman: the Movie, John Schneider in Smallville, Fred Henderson in Superman & Lois, and Kevin Costner in the DC Extended Universe.

What Is Superman About?

Per DC Studios, Superman tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and a better tomorrow, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned. 

"We got James Gunn and Peter (Safran) working very hard on DC, which is going to be a very big growth driver for this company," Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav explained last year. "We are very bullish on DC. The Superman script first draft is done. Gunn is on a mission from god. It is a really good moment to prove out on DC what we got and how strong it is globally for long-term sustainable growth."

Who Will Star in Superman?

Superman will also star David Corenswet as Clark Kent / Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Terence Rosemore as Otis, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica / The Engineer, Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt / Mr. Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason / Metamorpho.

"We've been having a lot of great conversations, David and I, with James Gunn, the director," Brosnahan revealed in a recent interview. "We've been talking a lot about where this project fits into the canon of the Supermans that we know. So hopefully, this'll be... we'll be putting our own stamp on things."

Are you excited for Superman? What do you think of the film's casting for Jonathan Kent? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Superman is currently scheduled to be released exclusively in theaters on July 11, 2025.