In the live-action films, Pa Kent is often written a bit like Yoda: He teaches a moral lesson, clutches his chest and exits. James Gunn doesn’t seem interested in that shortcut. The Superman (2025) trailers show Pruitt Taylor Vince, 64, wearing plaid and handing out life lessons with the easy warmth fans remember from Smallville. That matters because the longer Jonathan Kent lives, the harder the inevitable farewell lands and fans probably aren’t emotionally prepared.
When Smallville dropped Episode 13 of Season 5, “Vengeance,” on 2 February 2006, Clark finally faced that grief head-on. After Jonathan’s heart attack, Clark moped through the farm until he returned home at the end of the episode, only to hear his dad’s voice in the background. Martha was watching a dusty home video of the father and son. Jonathan’s off-screen voice signed off with a gentle “Bye, Bye,” and Clark finally broke. And audiences broke down, too. In fact, if you kept a straight face during that scene, you might be a Man of Steel yourself.
Gunn appears to be setting the same trap: give Clark daily breakfasts with Dad, profound life lessons, and touching moments, then rip the chair away when the audience least expects it.
In fact, live-action history offers only one other Pa Kent who actually stuck around for a long time: Eddie Jones in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997). Jones never dodged a tornado or capped off his arc with a funeral. He baked pies, offered relationship advice, and still managed the farm. When Clark first revealed the Superman suit, Jonathan swallowed hard and then smiled: “Well, that’s my boy.” It’s a deeply human moment, which is exactly the vibe Vince seems to be channeling in the new film.
Glenn Ford’s 1978 Jonathan clocked less than ten minutes of screen time before that Kansas gravel road claimed him. And Kevin Costner’s version in 2013’s Man of Steel delivered the famous tornado sacrifice. In both cases, Clark’s dad existed mainly to push the plot forward. James Gunn’s choice to keep Pa alive reshapes that origin story. Clark now has a strong and active mentor, not just a memory.
There’s no doubt that Gunn will swing the scythe eventually. I mean, he didn’t cast a strong actor like Pruitt Taylor Vince just to keep him on the porch indefinitely. The longer Pa Kent sticks around, the more life we see him pour into Clark, the steeper the emotional cliff when he’s gone. And just like in Smallville, it’s going to hit really hard.
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