Movies

Superman’s New Parents: A Shocking Twist on the Man of Steel’s Legacy!

BBG News

In contrast to typical expectations, the upcoming Superman film is not an origin story, as viewers are already acquainted with the iconic character’s early life events. Previous adaptations like the 1978 movie and Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel have detailed Kal-El’s journey from his birth on Krypton to becoming a superpowered adult in Kansas, raised by Ma and Pa Kent. Given its widespread recognition, it’s likely that even those unfamiliar with the comics have some understanding of this tale. Consequently, James Gunn’s upcoming film skips over this familiar narrative and instead begins three years into Superman’s crime-fighting career, as he grapples with his first significant defeat in a battle.

Nevertheless, contrary to being an account of his origins, the story of Superman brings about one of the most significant transformations in Superman’s backstory to date. A pivotal plot twist unfolds concerning Superman’s Kryptonian parents (alongside a less dramatic but still impactful reinterpretation of his human parents), which carries substantial consequences for the character moving forward.

Superman makes a major change to Jor-El and Lara

In the upcoming film, Superman (David Corenswet) is found battered by one of Lex Luthor’s (Nicholas Hoult) sinister minions. Seeking refuge, he returns to his Fortress of Solitude in Antarctica for recuperation. His mechanical aides activate a holographic message from his Kryptonian parents, Jor-El and Lara, which they recorded before Superman was born. This message serves as solace to him, as they know it would. In a delightful cameo appearance, Bradley Cooper (known for collaborating with Gunn on the Guardians of the Galaxy series) and Angela Sarafyan from Westworld voice the parents in their native Kryptonian language, while an English narrator translates their words. As anticipated, they express their affection for their son, sending him to Earth for survival purposes.

Due to baby Clark’s spaceship accident, he missed the second part of the message. Later, Lex Luthor manages to breach the Fortress of Solitude and uses one of his metahuman minions, the Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría), to access Superman’s files. She restores the damaged portion of his parents’ message, which Luthor subsequently broadcasts worldwide to tarnish Superman’s image. The message from Jor-El and Lara indicates they are sending him to Earth to rule it, advising their son to gather a group of Earth women for breeding superbabies with half-Kryptonian DNA. Initially, Superman believes the footage to be fake, but finds out it’s authentic.

To put it simply, the portrayal of Superman’s Kryptonian parents in this new version is quite unlike any previous depiction. Typically, Jor-El and Lara have been portrayed as noble figures, but in this case, their motives are questionable. This shift from past iterations is significant, as there isn’t much comic book precedent for Jor-El sending his son to Earth for malicious reasons. While the Jor-El from the Smallville TV show had a slightly ambiguous moral compass, he wasn’t as morally dubious as this version. In previous movies, actors like Marlon Brando and Russell Crowe played Jor-El, both exuding nobility and goodness, even when using cue cards for lines. However, in this new film, Jor-El is portrayed differently by Jeremy Irons, with a more complex character who doesn’t appear until later in the story and doesn’t leave messages encouraging help for Earth’s people like previous versions did.

In simpler terms, Jor-El, played by Marlon Brando in the movie “Superman,” says that Earth’s people have the potential to be good, but they lack guidance. He sends Superman (his son) to Earth because he believes that his arrival will provide a positive influence for humanity and help them reach their full potential. This is very different from the statement “Get yourself a harem of Earth girls.

In a natural and easy-to-read way, The unique goodness that makes Superman exceptional, beyond even his birth parents, has traditionally been attributed to the qualities instilled in him by both sets of his parents. If the biological parents in this new Superman movie are portrayed as somewhat evil, then what about his adoptive ones?

Ma and Pa Kent are different, too

In this retelling, I, too, get some adjustments as the humble couple, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell, who discover a baby on our Smallville farm and nurture him as their own. While they may not be as widely recognized as Kevin Costner and Diane Lane from “Man of Steel,” or even Glenn Ford from the 1978 “Superman,” they bring an authenticity to their roles that adds depth to the story. Compared to the likes of Phyllis Thaxter, who played Martha in the ’78 version and was connected to the movie’s producer through family ties, Vince and Howell hold their own as capable actors.

In previous movie adaptations, the Kents were embodiments of a particular American nobility, sturdy, proud farmers hailing from the heartland. They exuded love and warmth, yet maintained an air of stoicism as they instilled in their son the correct values and responsibilities that accompanied his extraordinary powers. Costner’s portrayal of Jonathan Kent presents a peculiar yet fitting decision by Snyder, as his character suggests that his son might have allowed his classmates to drown instead of revealing himself by pulling their bus out of the water – a choice that underscores his seriousness and wisdom while reinforcing his role as a stern, wise patriarch.

Instead, the 2025 Kents, at first glance, seem rather comical. They’re initially presented struggling with technology over a phone call, offering ineffective advice, and affecting overly stereotyped Midwestern accents. Unlike Superman’s parents, they are not physically impressive; instead, they resemble ordinary Americans, falling short of the likes of Kevin Costner and Diane Lane. Far from being super-parents in an idealized sense, they come across as quite normal.

As a devoted film enthusiast, I’d rephrase it like this: In the heart of the movie, Superman and Lois Lane find themselves making a stop at their family farm, where the kind-hearted Kents reside. Unlike in previous films, here Jonathan Kent is alive, a departure from his youthful demise in earlier adaptations that don’t align with the comic book canon. This visit home offers a glimpse into the true nature of the Kents. A scene unfolds where Jonathan, now an elderly man, sits beside his grown son on a park bench, reminiscing about his childhood and beaming with pride for Clark. They didn’t mold their son for some grand destiny; as Pa Kent explains to Clark, “Parents aren’t here to dictate who you should become.” Instead, they simply loved him unconditionally. The movie concludes with Superman in his Fortress of Solitude, watching a heartwarming montage of home videos featuring Ma and Pa Kent, rather than the usual Kryptonian message.

This Superman’s parents put the focus on the character’s humanity

In contrast to previous cinematic portrayals of Superman, who were born from noble Kryptonians, guided by compassionate scientists, and nurtured by all-American values, this Superman’s origins involve villainous parents and ordinary upbringing. This significant shift in the origin story is a departure from traditional adaptations, yet it aligns with the theme of James Gunn’s fresh interpretation of Superman.

In contrast to Snyder’s films, which emphasized Superman’s alien nature and portrayed him as potentially dangerous, the Gunn movie focuses on Superman’s humanity. Unlike the previous movies where Superman struggled to fit in on Earth, this version of Superman is deeply connected to his human side. In fact, Superman delivers a speech to Luthor about his shared human traits like worries, insecurities, and fears. This 2025 version of Superman, as the title suggests, is all about exploring his human identity rather than his alien-ness.

Portraying Superman’s Kryptonian parents as adversaries of mankind marks a significant shift, pushing the character further from Krypton and closer to humanity. By making his human parents more down-to-earth, lovable, and quirky instead of the previously depicted impeccably noble and larger-than-life figures, this concept is reinforced even more. Although he still possesses alien powers, an alien pet, robotic helpers, and a hidden sci-fi lair, no Superman has ever seemed as human as this one does.

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2025-07-11 21:11

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