With the announcement of Zack Snyder’s Justice League hanging firmly above the heads of DCEU fans, there is a question of who will be coming back, and who might be sitting out. One such party folks are wondering about is Kevin Costner’s Jonathan “Pa” Kent, who was last seen in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice as a spirit appearing to Henry Cavill’s Superman. Once you bring a character back in that sort of capacity, there’s no telling where they could pop up again, which brings us to the big question of whether Pa Kent will return for the brand new, expanded version of Zack Snyder’s true vision of Justice League.
During the press day for Focus Features’ upcoming drama Let Him Go, I had the absolute honor of speaking with Kevin Costner, on behalf of CinemaBlend. Now seeing as we’ve run a couple stories about Zack Snyder’s Justice League around these parts, it felt like a good idea to poke around that very subject with Mr. Costner; which led to a very cryptic, but oh so entertaining, response:
I don’t know. You don’t want to be kissin’ and tellin’ in life. You’re pokin’ me a little bit. I’m not… I can’t tell you.
If there’s any one attribute the world should respect from an actor whose even considered a role in a comic book property, it has to be secrecy. Though rather than just brushing off the question, Kevin Costner used his easy charm and good nature to deflect the matter into a gray area that neither confirms nor denies we’ll see Superman’s father appearing yet again. And to be quite honest, it was a beautiful thing to behold.
As fans of the DC Extended Universe will remember, Man of Steel saw Kevin Costner’s Jonathan Kent perish at the hands of a tornado, with his last moment of life used to warn his son not to intervene. Though that didn’t stop him from making an emotional return in 2016’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, as Superman visited a memorial he erected in his adopted father’s memory and had a conversation with his spirit in the process.
With the expansion of Justice League leading to Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the fully intended vision of Mr. Snyder is about to be realized for HBO Max subscribers who are eagerly awaiting the film/series hybrid’s early 2021 debut. As there’s bound to be some work to bring Zack Snyder’s overall story to the masses, there’s room for all sorts of developments to finally take their place in the film’s framework. Much as folks are hoping that Harry Lennix’s proposed role as Martian Manhunter will be in the final Snyder Cut, there are those who would love to see Kevin Costner guide his Kryptonian charge through some of his darker moments.
It’s all still in the air at this point, as we don’t even know when Zack Snyder’s Justice League is going to premiere on HBO Max. But while we’re waiting, it’s nice to have a bit more mystery to look forward to in the eventual rollout of the four-hour/four part structure that awaits in the future.
So whether you’re frustrated or not, you still should tip your hat to Mr. Kevin Costner for keeping things interesting. Like the man himself said, you don’t want to be kissin’ and tellin’ in life; otherwise, where’s the fun? Though, if you get the chance, you should absolutely see Costner and his DCEU co-star Diane Lane, reteam for justice in Let Him Go, which will hit theaters on November 6th.
