We're now just under four months away from the release of James Gunn's Superman, but it seems there are a couple of key cast members that the Guardians of the Galaxy director managed to keep under wraps during production.
In his latest newsletter, Jeff Sneider says he's heard that there are still "some major casting surprises in Gunn’s Superman," and he believes that Kal-El's biological father, Jor-El, is one of them (we would assume that his mother, Lara Lor-Van, is another).
Sneider speculates - and that's all it is - that Tom Cruise, who signed a deal with Warner Bros. last year, could be eyed for a DC role. If Cruise was to sign on for a superhero project, it would have to be as a major character or possibly a smaller, but still important cameo. Jor-El could fit the bill, but we can't see a casting coup of that magnitude staying out of the press - or the rumor mill at the very least.
Sneider adds: "I thought it might be Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt — and who knows, it still might be — but a source suggested that Gunn wouldn’t do that to Marvel’s Kevin Feige, seeing as how we likely haven’t seen the last of Star-Lord in the MCU."
We can't think of many other characters that would be deemed vital to Superman lore that haven't been cast, but a recent report on the latest test-screenings did mention "surprise villains," so perhaps General Zod will make an appearance?
If Gunn and the studio have managed to keep these (possible) surprises secret for this long, we probably won't find out for sure until we're sitting down to watch the movie.
Superman stars David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Isabel Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
Sara Sampaio is on board as Lex's assistant/lover Eve Teschmacher, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell will play "Ma" and "Pa" Kent, and Milly Alcock's Supergirl has been confirmed to make her debut ahead of her own Woman of Tomorrow movie.
"And that’s a wrap," Gunn posted earlier this year when filming concluded. "God bless our cast and crew whose commitment, creativity, and hard work have brought this project to life. I set out to make a movie about a good man in a world that isn’t always so much. And the goodness and kindness and love I’ve encountered on a daily basis on the set has inspired me and thrust me forward when I felt too spent to move on my own.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. It has been an honor. The destination has been Superman, but the journey has been the toil and the laughter and the emotions and ideas and magic we’ve shared together on set - and for that I am forever grateful."
You can check out an updated synopsis for the movie below.
"In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind."