Superman Finds A Dad: Russell Crowe Joins 'Man Of Steel'

Actor is in final negotiations to play Jor-El in Zack Snyder's reboot.
By Kara Warner

Russell Crowe
Photo: Tommy Jackson/ WireImage

Yet another big name is reportedly joining Zack Snyder's A-list Superman reboot "Man of Steel." According to Variety, Russell Crowe is in final negotiations to play Superman's biological and ill-fated father, Jor-El.

Die-hard fans of the 1978 Christopher Reeve-starring, Richard Donner-directed classic film will remember that Jor-El was played famously by Marlon Brando in a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo. "Man of Steel" producer Christopher Nolan is said to have been seeking an A-list actor to portray Supes' dad, and Crowe certainly fits the bill.

Warner Bros. has yet to issue a formal statement or comment on the casting, but should the announcement be made official, Crowe would join previously announced actors Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Michael Shannon and possible Kryptonian villainess German actress Antje Traue.

The Oscar-winning Crowe was last seen in the crime drama "The Next Three Days" and is currently filming "The Man With the Iron Fists."

Plot details of Snyder's reboot have been hard to come by, as is to be expected these days of any big-screen comic book adaptation. Snyder did tell us back when he was announced as director that he wouldn't have signed onto the project if he didn't feel like they were doing something new with the iconic character.

"All I'll say is that those guys [screenwriter David Goyer and Nolan] have created an amazing story," Snyder told MTV News in October. "The 'Why [remake] Superman?' is definitely being looked at with care, that's all I could hope for as a director. Everyone always says, 'Why Superman? Why is he relevant? Who is he now?' I think those guys have done an amazing job with that. That's the real trick."

Check out everything we've got on "Man of Steel."

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