5 Years Back, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane Starred in a Scary Western After ‘Man of Steel’ Wasted Away Their Chemistry

Let Him Go unleashes the chemistry between Kevin Costner & Diane Lane, turning their underused Man of Steel potential into a gripping journey.

Don’t we all love a tale that feels like a genuine slice of life but with enough spice to keep our hearts racing? There’s a feeling you get when you see two actors who clearly have that thing between them, but for some reason, the movie doesn’t do them justice.

It’s like stumbling upon a gorgeous painting, only to realize the brushstrokes don’t quite live up to the vision. That’s exactly how we felt watching Man of Steel (2013) with Kevin Costner and Diane Lane. They were meant to play the heart and soul of Superman’s upbringing as Jonathan and Martha Kent, but their dynamic barely scratched the surface.

Kevin Costner and Diane Lane in Let Him Go | Credit: Universal Pictures

Now five years ago, they reunited in Thomas Bezucha’s Let Him Go, a tense neo-Western, and that’s when their chemistry finally popped. The film’s journey is gripping, yes, but what really sold it was their shared grief and love.

When chemistry finally clicks: Kevin Costner and Diane Lane’s thrilling comeback in Let Him Go

Man of Steel | Credit: Warner Bros Pictures

Let Him Go (2020) marked the reunion of Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, this time in a gritty neo-Western thriller that finally gave their on-screen chemistry a chance to breathe. Directed and written by Thomas Bezucha, the film follows George Blackledge (Costner), a retired sheriff, and his wife, Martha (Lane), who, after the tragic death of their son, embark on a dangerous mission to rescue their grandson.

You see, in Man of Steel, Costner and Lane’s roles as Jonathan and Martha Kent were sidelined, left to play second fiddle to the massive CGI spectacle. Their dynamic, which could’ve been the emotional backbone of the movie, was barely explored.

Their connection, in hindsight, felt wasted. But in Let Him Go, their shared grief and love for family are front and center. This film gave us the Costner-Lane combo we didn’t know we needed!

What would you do for your family? Kevin Costner and Diane Lane reflect on Let Him Go

What makes Let Him Go more than just another revenge thriller is the depth of its central relationship. George and Martha, scarred by the loss of their son, are dealing with grief in a way that feels so palpable.

As Martha, Diane Lane brings a rawness to her character that cuts to the core. What Lane captures so beautifully is that internal tug-of-war between right and wrong. When asked about her character’s decision to “do the wrong thing for all the right reasons,” she noted (via EW):

I found it compelling that I wondered what I would do in this situation, because it was such a compelling concept that my character in the piece winds up having to do the wrong thing for all the right reasons.

Kevin Costner and Diane Lane in Let Him Go | Credit: Universal Pictures

For Kevin Costner’s part, his portrayal of George is quietly devastating. His stoic nature says so much without saying anything at all. There’s a quiet knowing in the way he stands by Martha, even when he knows the journey they’re on could lead to disaster. As Costner said:

There was something about the writing in this particular instance that I knew where the story was going right away. A lot of times that can be a bad thing, but in this instance it’s just a sense of dread that his wife, right or wrong, is taking him down a road that he knows is a bad path.

It’s clear from the first frame of Let Him Go that this isn’t just a rescue mission; it’s a journey to reclaim something lost—a chance at redemption. Lane described the bond between parents and grandparents as something that shifts your perspective on life entirely:

Once you become a mother, all bets are off because this mammalian chemical thing happens to you where now your heart is walking around out of your body…

And we couldn’t help but nod in agreement.
Kevin Costner and Diane Lane in Let Him Go | Credit: Universal Pictures
And Costner’s George? He’s the voice of reason—the man who knows the perils but still follows his wife. As he put it,

We have to be careful with each other because we can, through our own obsession, drag people into something that is a bad situation no matter how righteous we think our cause is.

It’s a cautionary tale about the limits of love, about how even the purest intentions can lead you astray.

When we think back to Man of Steel and the potential that Costner and Lane’s characters had, we can’t help but feel like something was lost in translation. But Let Him Go gave them the space to finally show us what they could do. Their relationship in this film isn’t just the backbone—it’s the heart. And this time, it wasn’t overshadowed by the chaos of superheroes and explosions.

Let Him Go can be rented on Apple TV. And Man of Steel is streaming on Max.