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Zack Snyder Casts Kevin Costner In Superman, And I'm Suddenly Annoyed

By TK | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (22)

kevin-costner.jpg

I couldn’t figure out a clever heading for this, so I’m giving it to you straight. There is some seriously nutty shit going on in the Superman universe. First and foremost, yes, you read that correctly. Latino Review has confirmed that Kevin Coster (!) will indeed be featured in Zack Snyder’s Superman: Man Of Steel as Jonathan Kent, aka Clark’s father. The good news is, at least he won’t have to affect that atrocious Boston accent he had in Company Men.

In any event, I’m astonishingly unexcited about this, both because Costner hasn’t done much interesting in a while, and because Pa Kent is a pretty unremarkable character. The sad truth is that Crash Davis hasn’t really blown audiences away in quite some time — his last interesting role was in Open Range, and that was 2003.

As for the character itself, casting Pa Kent has inexplicably irritated me. It’s essentially the rural take on Ben Parker, except he doesn’t die during the origin. Pretty much any qhite man over 50 could play the role — there’s little pathos or drama to it, and what there is is unlikely to manifest itself in this film. Truth be told, I’m a little annoyed that the Kents are even in the movie, because that just makes it seem like more retread of the same tired story again. Clark Kent struggles to keep his identity a secret, he loves Lois, his parents are sweet old country folk who give him sage advice, he saves the world. I want to see a real challenge. I want to see the film taken somewhere new, not just using the same characters over and over — there’s a million pages of comic book history to draw on, damn it.

I guess what I’m saying is… BRAINIAC, DARKSEID OR GTFO.









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Comments

Darkseid is more of a JLA villain in a sense. I cant see the general audience giving into the idea of Darkseid even for one second. Metallo, Bizzaro, Brainiac, Zod, Doomsday, and Luthor are the only tangible villains.

Posted by: Silverman at February 22, 2011 12:13 AM

I want Justin Timberlake as Mr. Mxyzptlk.

Posted by: Lucas at February 22, 2011 12:39 AM

Hmm. I almost prefer John Schneider's Jonathan Kent from Smallville.

Posted by: Turtle at February 22, 2011 12:43 AM

First of all, if there is no Darkseid by the end of this trilogy, I will sell my soul and become Darkseid and hunt down and destroy Nolan, Snyder, Goyer and anyone else involved or else force them to sell their own souls and become Superman just so we can finally see Darkseid (who would be me) take on Superman (who would be Nolan or Snyder or whoever is left alive at that point).

As for Costner...meh. He's Americana enough to do Pa Kent, but I'm worrying that they plan on giving us more origin story. At this point, WHO doesn't know Superman's origin? People are more keenly aware of Krypton, Jor-El, Smallville, et al than they are who is their Congressman, Premier or Dear Leader.

Posted by: Fredo at February 22, 2011 12:45 AM

The new layout sucks.

Posted by: bubbles at February 22, 2011 2:21 AM

Smallville is using DARKSEID I believe, but there's so few episodes left, I have a feeling it's either quick resolution or he'll transition into the "full-fledged" superhero and the last shot will be him flying off to face DARKSEID (cause superman still can't actually fly yet in the show, at least sustained flight.)

Posted by: e at February 22, 2011 2:44 AM

Archers mom as Martha please.

Posted by: rabbi at February 22, 2011 3:17 AM

Im ok with anything as long as we dont get yet another origin story...

Posted by: Galapagos at February 22, 2011 6:01 AM

i have to agree: meh

Posted by: splinter at February 22, 2011 6:14 AM

He hides Kal-El's spaceship under home plate in the baseball park he built in the middle of his cornfield. Duh.

Posted by: Sarcastro at February 22, 2011 6:28 AM

Sarcastro, you owe me a keyboard.

On a serious note, this casting leaves me a tad bewildered. I fail to see what the hell Costner can bring to a role that doesn't require even a dimmed star.

Perhaps it's an elaborate plot to work elements of The Postman into the movie.

Posted by: The Wanderer at February 22, 2011 7:28 AM

People are more keenly aware of Krypton, Jor-El, Smallville, et al than they are who is their Congressman, Premier or Dear Leader.

OT: Is it bad that I read those last two words as Dean Lerner.

I hate Kevin Costner...sort of. I swear the man is the worst thing about some of my favorite movies, particularly Field of Dreams and Bull Durham. I swear he uses the same delivery for every role he has. It kind of worked for Crash Davis but in everything else it just sounds awkward or stupid. (Robin Hood?) I suppose he isn't bad enough to ruin those movies for me, but god damn I find that man's "acting" annoying.

Posted by: L4NkYb at February 22, 2011 9:15 AM

Actually, I'm pretty sure Ben Parker is the urban Pa Kent.

Posted by: coryo at February 22, 2011 9:26 AM

Alan Arkin should play the updated version of a foul-mouthed heroin-loving Pa Kent.

Posted by: sars at February 22, 2011 9:53 AM

Talk about much ado about nothing. The Richard Donner Superman Movie cast Glen Ford as Pa Kent and gave him nothing to do. It's a precedent that Snyder is following with Costner. I'm sure there will many similar cameos, and they won't add or detract from the movie in any way. Except Margot Kidder as a crazy bag lady on the streets of Metropolis. That will be awesome.

Posted by: ed newman at February 22, 2011 10:09 AM

pa kent is only as unremarkable as the script writers make him. Greek tragedy, Shakespeare and Russian lit seem to suggest there is tremendous dramatic fodder in father figures and father son relationships.

I can see how it would make people nervous about how much of the screen time will be originy, but unless the only thing that matters to the viewers is CGI fights, you need story and character relationships (portrayed by actors with presence) to make any of it matter.

I swear, other than a tiny handful of sacred actors and directors that pajibans fetishistically worship, the only response to any movie news is groaning complaints. like a bunch of Eeyores.

Posted by: idleprimate at February 22, 2011 10:25 AM

Ah, but, TK, you need a Pa Kent established in the first movie, so by the time Kal-El is returning from the dead in the third movie (after his fight to mutual destruction against Doomsday at the end of the second movie) to fight off Darkseid (who is coming from Anti-Life, which is both parallel to death and a parallel storyline) he has someone to talk to in the afterlife. Duh-doy!

And to whomever mentioned Smaville as a sufficient take on any of the Superman mythos: Shut-up-a-yo-mouth.

Posted by: RobP at February 22, 2011 10:55 AM

Mr. Brooks is coming to kill you now, TK.

Posted by: superasente at February 22, 2011 1:15 PM

I still think the plotline to Superman: Doomsday would make an EXCELLENT script for the new movie.

Posted by: JustBill at February 22, 2011 2:05 PM

I'd say he'd make a half-decent politician, dead-serious Luthor who's not the main villain, but a tangential force in the movie.

Posted by: godzilla_foil at February 22, 2011 2:51 PM

Dude. They already used JOHN SCHNEIDER in the role. Pre-ruined.

Posted by: John Roberson at February 22, 2011 3:24 PM

What I'd say about the Kevin Costner thing is this: Snyder's understanding of quality acting is the equivalent of his understanding of the Cold War (as evidenced in Watchmen, which I liked, but cringed every time the subject of geopolitics came up in the movie). On that basis, this casting decision is no surprise.

Posted by: gbeenie at February 22, 2011 4:29 PM