Jor-El Has Been Cast...Well, Sort of!
A few weeks ago I heard there would not be an announcement regarding the casting of Jor-El because he had already been cast...a long time ago. A few names have been going around, including Brian Singer's favorite Patrick Stewart, but to date those have been only rumors. Bryan Singer has mentioned that he will use items that are familiar to the first two films such as the design of the Fortress of Solitude and of Krypton. He has also mentioned that he will use part of the very well known John Williams score.
So who is Jor-El in Superman Returns you ask? Apparently, none other than Marlon Brando himself! Yes, yes we all know he is no longer with us so just how will this happen? As far as we can tell Brando will not be CGI, but Singer plans to use stock footage of Marlon Brando that was originally shot by "Superman" director Richard Donner. Considering that Jor-El's role in Superman Returns is very minor this might just work.
Brando and Christopher Reeve were once filmed interacting with one another to be used in Superman II, (here's the deleted scene image on you left) but due to a lawsuit against the Salkinds for a percentage of the sequel, the scenes were deleted and re-shot using the mother (Sarah Douglas) instead.
Can this change? Yes of course all rumors do but it seems this is the way Singer wants to go. And if it's true you know where you heard or read it first!
No official comment from Warner Bros. at this point. Filming begins this month in Australia.
