While we'd expected James Gunn to cast a couple of big names as Superman's Ma and Pa Kent, the filmmaker instead chose to find two actors he felt embody the characters, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell.
There's still no word on who, if anyone, will play Jor-El (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 star Kurt Russell remains the rumoured fan favourite) but we're expecting Jonathan and Martha to be a huge part of Clark Kent's story. Here's hoping neither of them meets a tragic end, anyway!
"Happy Anniversary to my favorite Kansas farmers Ma [and] Pa Kent who will be played by Pruitt Taylor Vince (an actor I've wanted to work with since I saw him in James Mangold's Heavy in 1995) [and] the delightful Neva Howell," Gunn said on Threads.
"Ma [and] Pa Kent [first] appeared in Superman #1 May 18, 1939," he added. "Clark's parents had a few names until they were formally named John and Mary Kent in Superman #53 in 1948, a retelling of Superman’s origin story. Jonathan [and] Martha as their formal names were established in later issues."
Is the filmmaker hinting at a Golden Age-inspired name change for Clark's parents in the upcoming reboot - naming them John and Mary instead of Jonathan and Martha - or just sharing an interesting piece of trivia? We'll have to wait and see.
Sets have been constructed in Atlanta for Superman, so we're hoping set photos showing more of the movie's characters are revealed soon. Gunn has said he's skipping this year's San Diego Comic-Con, meaning it's unclear when we'll get our next official look at the movie.
Check out Gunn's Threads post below.
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 the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.
David Corenswet is playing the Man of Steel, while Rachel Brosnahan has been tapped to star as Lois Lane.
The movie's supporting cast includes Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Pruitt Taylor Vince as Pa Kent, Neva Howell as Ma Kent, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
Milly Alcock is also expected to make a cameo appearance as Supergirl before taking flight in her own movie, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.
Superman is currently set to be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.