‘The Mentalist’ Actor Pruitt Taylor Vince Lands Major Role in ‘Superman: Legacy’

Pruitt Taylor Vince has been cast as Jonathan Kent aka Pa Kent in James Gunn’s Superman, TheWrap reports. Johnathan Kent is Superman’s adopted father, and he discovers the superhero when he first arrives on Earth on a Kryptonian spaceship in Kansas as an infant. Kevin Costner played the role in the 2013 film Man of Steel and Glenn Ford in 1978’s Superman.

Superman, currently in production, is DC Studios’ inaugural film. It is part of Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, which relaunches the DC Universe.

In other casting news, newcomer David Corenswet plays the new Man of Steel alongside Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Other cast members include Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, and Wendell Pierce as Daily Planet Editor in Chief Perry White.

Gunn, the director and writer of the upcoming reboot, addressed inquiries from fans on his Threads account regarding his initial plans for the film back in March. One of the main points he stressed was that he wanted the reboot to distance itself from the previous DC Extended Universe (DCEU). 

In response to questions about the project’s origins, Gunn revealed that Warner Bros. co-CEO Michael De Luca approached him in the summer of 2022. According to the director, the film was envisioned from the outset as a standalone, similar to The Batman, stating, per Movieweb, “Always separate.”

Under Gunn and Safran’s direction, the new Superman film marks a significant shift in the DC Universe. Warner Bros. has described it as a “workplace origin story,” offering a fresh and intriguing perspective on the iconic superhero. In late February, director James Gunn renamed the film, which was initially titled Superman: Legacy, to Superman as principal photography began during the film’s production. 

Next up for Taylor Vince is a series regular role in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Lady in the Lake, opposite Natalie Portman. The actor has also appeared on Stranger Things, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, NBC’s Heroes Reborn, True Blood, The Walking Dead, The Mentalist, and Murder One, for which he won an Emmy award.

Regarding the film industry, Taylor Vince has held significant roles in Netflix’s Birdbox alongside Sandra Bullock and The Life and Death of John Gotti opposite John Travolta. Superman will hit theaters on July 11, 2025.