Batman Vs. Superman: Russell Crowe Not Returning

Russell Crowe, the actor who played Superman's father, Jor-El, in Man of Steel, will not be returning for the film's sequel. "I don't think they're going to use me again," Crowe told Yahoo while promoting Noah. "I think they're jumping onto a different stream. You know, with different superhero worlds colliding." From the sound of Crowe's comment, it's not that he wouldn't consider returning, but that there is no need for him to reappear in the sequel. For better or worse, this makes sense. Man of Steel was a Superman origin tale, and we needed to see Superman's father to understand his heritage. In Batman vs. Superman, Superman should already be established and the presence of so many iconic characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor) probably means the film will have enough balls in the air without retreading ground covered in Man of Steel. Batman vs. Superman is scheduled to arrive in theaters May 6, 2016.