Like Marlon Brando in the original Superman films, Russell Crowe played a key role in 2013’s Man of Steel as Superman’s Kryptonian father Jor-El. Even after launching his son to Earth before perishing on Krypton, his consciousness was able to tell Kal-El his origins and help him defeat General Zod. There hasn’t been any announcement on whether Jor-El will be seen in the DC Cinematic Universe again, but Crowe already has an idea of how he could return, and it involves exploring his character’s past.
Crowe told MTV News that no one has talked to him about coming back, although since Jor-El died twice in Man of Steel (the real Kryptonian and the hologram version), he has trouble seeing how he could return. However, the actor did say he would be interested in doing a prequel about Jor-El’s life before Krypton exploded. Said Crowe:
What sparked my interest once I saw how Zack [Snyder] was creating Krypton, it always sort of went through my mind, I’d like to see what made Jor-El Jor-El, what made him and Zod legendarily, or folklorically, friends. What split them apart? The philosophy that spilt them apart. A prequel.
The DC film schedule from now until 2020 is packed, so a Jor-El prequel doesn’t seem likely. However, there may be a way to include him in a film already planned. In addition to the DCCU film slate announcement in October, it was also reported that more solo movies for Batman and Superman are in the works. If one of Superman’s next cinematic adversaries has a connection to Krypton, like Doomsday or Brainiac, Crowe could reprise Jor-El in the solo movie during a flashback that connects him to this villain, be it directly or indirectly.
Whatever happens in the movies, Crowe may get his wish for a prequel taking place on Superman’s home planet, but it won’t involve him or the DCCU. Last December it was announced that Syfy is developing a Krypton series that will focus on the House of El, specifically Jor-El’s father (a.k.a. Superman’s grandfather) as he tries to "bring hope and equality to Krypton." It’s unclear how far along this project is, but if it gets green-lit, then it’s hard to imagine Warner Bros telling a similar story in theaters, especially when there’s so much to do with Superman in the present day.
You can catch Crowe’s full Jor-El excerpt with MTV in the video below.
Fans can jump back into the world of Superman on the big screen when Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters on May 25, 2016.
