Superman (casting, rumors, pix till release)

Kevin Costner for Jonathan, Susan Sarandon for Martha and Tim Robbins for Lex! .

 

Now, that would feel odd.

 

Jonathan dying and Martha (or Ma Kent) surviving isn't unique to the Donner movie.

The first episode of The Adventures of Superman has Ma Kent — aka Sara Kent in this version — outliving Pa Kent (or Eben Kent).

Ma Kent sees Clark off at the bus depot, before he heads off to Metropolis. She reminds him of the "super" suit that she sewed from his baby blankets. (IIRC, it is also the first time it's mentioned that Ma Kent made his uniform, which was quickly carried over into the comics.)


Nevertheless, most accounts, including Tom DeHaven's It's Superman novel, have Martha dying first.

Of course, Jonathan Kent's death has long been an important lesson for a young Clark long before Donner's movie or Smallville.

And in 1973, the origin of Superman was once again re-told and included the deathbed scene with a line that is similar to the one spoken by a young Clark in Superman: The Movie.

 

Granted, but the point is, there have also been plenty of Superman stories over the past 25 years in which Jonathan Kent has been alive and well: the comics from The Man of Steel until recently, the '88 Ruby-Spears animated series, Lois & Clark, the DC Animated Universe. It's anything but mandatory for Jonathan to die.

 

Please let this be true. I would love to see Kostner as Johnathan Kent. I would love to see him make another come back, he deserves it.

 

No one said it was mandatory for him to die. He died last year in the comics in the "New Krypton" storyline to provide more emotional conflict for Clark. "Smallville" "copying" "Superman: The Movie" is a little harsh statement in my opinion since the series has paid homage to the movie in various ways.

 

^ I always felt that Jonathan was killed off in Smallville because of criticisms which Schneider had aimed at the writing on the show.

 

I don't know about the behind the scenes reasons why he was killed off. Some fans speculated at the time it was just a shock move to gain ratings for their anniversary episode. The whole episode was kind of a homage to "Superman: The Movie". With Clark changing time and losing Jonathon.

 

I understood the point, and I wasn't disputing it. I wanted to address an inaccuracy in your statement and take the opportunity to provide a deeper clarification of the history behind Jonathan Kent's death and its impact on the Superman mythos.

There are both pros and cons in keeping Jonathan alive or in killing him. In the end, it depends on the type of story being told.

 

He was also alive and well in the Lois & Clark tv show.

 

^Which I did mention in there.

 

Betcha he'll be Perry White.

 

I originally was thinking Perry White until Jackson Archer suggested to me that he'd be a great Jonathon Kent.

 

I detect an inconsistency! You failed to mention JA first time out! You changed your mind after I suggested Jonathan Kent, admit it?!

 

LOL. To be honest Jackson mentioned it to me on facebook but very well yes here it was you that changed my mind when you mentioned it!!! LOL

 

^ Ha! You should have known I'd be far too vainglorious to let that go!

 

I like to be diplomatic

 

They're following the Batman Begins playbook. His fake identity will be Jonathan Kent, then in the third act he'll reveal himself to be Brainiac.

 

That's a somewhat ironic joke since in the New Krypton storyline Jonathon dies while Superman is engaged fighting Brainiac. Clark blamed himself that he couldn't save his father and beat the shit out of Brainiac at the same time.