James Gunn reveals reason behind Bradley Cooper cameo in ‘Superman’
James Gunn has revealed the reason why Bradley Cooper took on a cameo role in his latest blockbuster movie, Superman.
The filmmaker and head of DC Studios, who previously worked for rival production house Marvel Studios in directing the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, reportedly called in a favour from Cooper to star as Jor-El, Superman’s father from the planet Krypton.
Cooper had voiced the character of Rocket in the Marvel films, so Gunn imagined him as the perfect actor to take on the brief role. He took inspiration from Marlon Brando, who was initially slated to play the part in the original 1978 film before leaving due to creative differences.
According to Deadline, Gunn explained: “Well, Bradley’s a friend of mine, and I needed somebody who could play Jor-El — and I don’t think this is a spoiler, everybody knows about this — who had the stature of what we imagine that character being, somebody who could walk in the footsteps of Marlon Brando.”
Noting the reasons why he thought Cooper would be the ideal fit for the role, the director continued: “A lot of times, Jor-El is played by a 70-year-old man and that means he was 70 when he had a baby, so I wanted somebody that wasn’t too old. Everyone was bringing up all these actors that were too old for me. I think Bradley was perfect, he did it for me as a favour because he’s my friend, and I really appreciated him doing it.”
Aside from Cooper’s cameo, the film, which stars David Corenswet as the titular superhero, has become an instant box office hit after grossing over $200 million across its opening weekend. This makes the latest film the most successful in the Superman franchise.
Gunn has previously fielded off criticism of the oversaturation of superheroes in the current Hollywood blockbuster market, saying, “I don’t believe in superhero fatigue.”
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