With test screenings fully underway for James Gunn's upcoming Superman, it was only a matter of time before spoilers started to surface and it looks like a major cameo has found its way online.
SPOILERS AHEAD
While the rumor mill had floated the names of Tom Cruise and Chris Pratt possibly being in the mix for Jor-El in recent weeks, the noted leaker ViewerAnon has learned the actor's true identity, and, while it's unsurprisingly one of Gunn's former Guardians of the Galaxy stars, it's an actor we'd only heard, not seen before.
As per his sources, 12x Academy Award-nominee Bradley Cooper (The Hangover; Guardians of the Galaxy; Avengers: Endgame) has been enlisted to play Jor-El, the father of Superman.
He'll only appear in the first few minutes of the movie, so while it's not really a major plot spoiler, it does seemingly reveal that we'll once again be visiting the destruction of Krypton and meeting baby Kal-El before he's sent to Earth.
Warner Bros will host its CinemaCon presentation on Tuesday evening, so we'd reckon a new trailer could be made available online around the same time it debuts in Vegas, but we'd recommend everyone to also temper expectations as it's just as likely they'll keep that footage exclusive to the CinemaCon audience.
Cooper recently guest starred on HBO's The Righteous Gemstones, and received much acclaim for his performance as Elijah Gemstone, which may have put him in the frontrunner spot for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.
The perennial Oscar nominee is, of course, best known to comic book movie fans for his role as Rocket Raccoon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having voiced the role since 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy. He's also appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, I Am Groot, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
While his name wasn't announced on Wednesday with the first half of the Avengers: Doomsday cast, Cooper is expected to reprise his role in the upcoming Avengers sequel and/or in Avengers: Secret Wars.
His other recent credits include, but are not limited to, A Star is Born, Maestro, IF, Abbott Elementary, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Nightmare Alley, Licorice Pizza, The Mule, Chef, War Dogs, Limiteless, Aloha, and The Hangover trilogy.
Superman will star David Corenswet as the titular Man of Steel, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The supporting cast consists of Edi Gathegi (Mister Terrific), Anthony Carrigan (Metamorpho), Nathan Fillion (Guy Gardner/Green Lantern), Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl), Pruitt Taylor Vince (Jonathan Kent), Neva Howell (Martha Kent), Wendell Pierce (Perry White), Skyler Gisondo (Jimmy Olsen), Beck Bennett (Steve Lombard), Mikaela Hoover (Cat Grant), Christopher McDonald (Ron Troupe), Sara Sampaio (Eve Teschmacher), Terence Rosemore (Otis), Frank Grillo (Rick Flag Sr.), María Gabriela de Faría (The Engineer), Milly Alcock (Kara Zor-El/Supergirl), Sean Gunn (Maxwell Lord), Alan Tudyk (TBD), and Will Reeve (TBD).
Superman hits theaters on July 11!
“Superman,” DC Studios’ first feature film to hit the big screen, is set to soar into theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures. 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.