Director James Gunn filled Superman with plenty of exciting cameos that teased the DC Universe’s future. One of the most unexpected cameos was Bradley Cooper’s appearance. Just minutes into the movie, Cooper appears alongside Angela Sarafyan as Superman’s (David Corenswet) biological parents, Jor-El and Lara. The pair appears in a video message they sent to Earth with their infant son.
It was a pleasant surprise as Cooper fits the role of Jor-El well, channeling Marlon Brando’s iteration of the character. However, the twist regarding Superman’s parents’ message has left some viewers questioning the true identity of Cooper’s character.
Superman’s Big Twist Casts Jor-El In A New Light
Early in Superman, Superman listens to the video his parents sent him, although part of it was lost in transit. The beginning of the video describes their love for him and their decision to send him to Earth because it was where he could do the most good. However, later in the movie, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) recover the last part of the message, which is quite unexpected.
In the final part of the message, Jor-El and Lara reveal that their true hope for their son is to rule over Earth, lording over the planet as “the Last Son of Krypton” and taking numerous wives to continue the Kryptonian bloodline. Jor-El concludes, “Rule without mercy.”
Jor-El and Lara sending Superman to Earth with the hope that he would become a merciless ruler is a significant departure from Superman lore. While some comics have explored alternate versions of Jor-El that were more antagonistic, the original story is that Jor-El and Lara simply sent Superman to Earth to save him, not so that he could become a ruler. The change in Superman’s origins works well in Superman because it drives home the idea of him choosing for himself what kind of man he will be.
However, one can’t help but wonder if there’s another explanation for Jor-El’s changes in Superman other than just thematic reasons.
What If Bradley Cooper Isn’t Playing Jor-El?
Superman’s Jor-El’s ideology and desires for his son seem to align more closely with General Zod. In the comics, General Zod is a megalomaniac Kryptonian, desperate to grasp control of Krypton. His actions led to Jor-El banishing him to the Phantom Zone. Upon his release by Superman, he immediately set his sights on bringing Earth under his power.
Hence, fans have begun proposing the theory that Cooper is portraying General Zod. In the comics, Zod becomes Superman’s arch-enemy, mainly due to wanting vengeance on Jor-El. Perhaps, in Superman’s version of events, Zod managed to escape the Phantom Zone before Krypton’s fall and posed as Jor-El to trick Superman with the phony video message.
There’s a chance he wounded or killed Jor-El before forcing Lara to record the message, or that he employed another random Kryptonian to pose as Superman’s mother. He would have the motivation for this; he’d essentially pave the way for his takeover of Earth by having Superman go ahead of him, subjugating Earth and establishing a Kryptonian kingdom on it.
Meanwhile, the Superman theory that Cooper is Zod is hard to disprove. No one, including Superman, actually knows what Jor-El looks like or would be able to identify Zod. The message also strongly mirrored Zod’s imperialistic nature. Lastly, it would make more sense to employ an actor of Cooper’s stature for a role like Zod, rather than a role like Jor-El that doesn’t have much room for growth, given that Jor-El is deceased by the time of Superman.
What Would Bradley Cooper Portraying Zod Mean For The DCU?
If Cooper is Zod, it would be far from the first time the character has appeared in live-action. Zod (Callum Blue) had a recurring role in Smallville, where he develops Kryptonian clones to advance his plot to take over Earth. In Superman (1978) and Superman II, General Zod (Terence Stamp) escapes the Phantom Zone before Krypton’s Destruction, and allies with Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) to defeat Superman and rule Earth.
More recently, General Zod (Michael Shannon) appeared as Man of Steel’s main villain, where he’s intent on creating a new Krypton on Earth, even seeking Superman’s (Henry Cavill) DNA to create genetically pure Kryptonians. General Zod’s actions in Man of Steel eerily parallel Jor-El’s vision in Superman of creating a new Krypton on Earth.
If Cooper is Zod in Superman, it means Zod is already in the DCU and presumably survived the fall of Krypton. After learning his video message failed to sway Superman, he may decide to take matters into his own hands. He’d presumably be a major villain in future Superman or Justice League projects. Meanwhile, the fact that Superman believes him to be Jor-El could create an interesting dynamic in which Zod continues the charade, forcing Superman to choose once more between his perceived family and Earth.
Where To Watch General Zod's Movie And TV Show Appearances Online
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