James Gunn's Superman finds its Pa Kent in The Walking Dead and True Blood star

Heroes Reborn
(Image credit: Christos Kalohoridis/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

The cast for James Gunn’s Superman movie just got bigger as the DC Studios head has cast another vital character in the project, Superman’s adoptive father Pa Kent. 

As reported by TheWrap, Pruitt Taylor Vince has been cast as Jonathan Kent, joining David Corenswet as Superman, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. If you’re wondering where you've seen Taylor Vince before, the actor has appeared in many hit TV shows such as The Walking Dead, True Blood, Stranger Things, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, and more.

For those unfamiliar with the comics, Johnathan Kent AKA Pa Kent is Superman’s adopted father and the person who finds the superhero as a baby. In most versions of Superman's origin story, Jonathan and his wife Martha find the superhero after he crash-lands on Earth in the middle of their field, descending from the planet Krypton. The couple decide to adopt the boy and name him Clark Kent. 

But this is not the first time the character has been brought to life on the big screen. Pa Kent was first played by Glenn Ford in Richard Donner’s Superman 1978, and then again by Kevin Costner in Zack Snyder’s 2013 flick Man of Steel. The father figure has also made appearances in multiple DC shows such as Smallville and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. 

Despite the ever-growing cast list, not much is known about director and DC Studios head Gunn’s movie since he confirmed that filming had begun on February 29 by sharing the first official look at the logo on Superman’s new suit. However, we do know that the film will focus on a young Clark Kent as a reporter at The Daily Planet, balancing life as both a Kryptonian and a human, featuring many appearances from well-known DC characters. 

The cast also includes The Suicide Squad’s Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern, Madame Web’s Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.

Superman arrives on July 11, 2025. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows heading your way in 2024 and beyond.  

Editorial Associate, GamesRadar+

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine.  

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