Kevin Costner Made Jonathan Kent Controversial in ‘Man of Steel’ But That’s Not Why He Was Upset With the Script

Kevin Costner was not happy with his role in ‘Man of Steel’ initially after he received the script for the first time, but changed his opinion later.

There is no doubt that Kevin Costner is one of the most decorated Hollywood stars of the present generation.

Yet, the 70-year-old actor is also probably one of the best actors to bring out the middle-class ethos on screen.

Though the Oscar-winner has a large canon of Western dramas gracing his illustrious resume, Costner, like many other stars, had a small desire to be a part of the superhero gravy train.

But when he finally received the script of DC’s Man of Steel, instead of being deliriously happy, the actor’s heart broke for one glaring reason.

Let’s debunk why he was upset.

Kevin Costner was left upset with the script of Man of Steel

As DC decided to make a stylish reboot to the franchise’s beloved Superman saga in the form of Man of Steel, Kevin Costner was approached to play the role of Kal El/Superman’s earthly adoptive father, Jonathan Kent (along with Diane Lane as Martha Kent).

Kevin Costner in a still from Man of Steel | Credit: Warner Bros.

However, in a film full of interplanetary superhero activities, Costner’s role was probably one of the most grounded ones, as being an Earth resident, he did not possess any superhero abilities.

This aspect of his character, however, did not sit well with the actor, who was reportedly upset with the lack of superhero capabilities of his character.

Speaking to CinemaBlend in an interview, Costner recalled the feeling as he shared,

It’s just my luck to be in a superhero movie and be the only person that’s normal… I was like, ‘Really? I can’t fly? And I can’t put my fist through the wall? Maybe I should have read this thing closer.

I’m a farmer?’

Because of his being assigned the role of a farmer, the Yellowstone star was initially left disheartened.

However, upon pondering much, the Oscar-winner for Dances With Wolves realized that he, after all, “can be that.”

In the long run, too, it was probably better, as Costner – armed with his decades of experience portraying the working-class Americans in the multiple Westerns – was probably the best choice to bring out the humane sides of Superman’s earthly father.

Nevertheless, the controversy surrounding the character seldom ceased to exist even after Costner took up the role.

Though his role was important, Costner’s Jonathan Kent met with an incredulously tragic ending halfway through the movie.

Jonathan, who was a staunch purveyor of the idea that Clark Kent should keep his superhero abilities hidden, died valiantly (or foolishly if one is a skeptic) trying to uphold his values.

What makes the character’s death more controversial is the fact that Jonathan chose to die when caught up in a tornado rather than allowing Clark to save him from the same.

As Costner explained in his interview,

I thought it was rooted in doubt.

But there was no doubt that he puts his hand up and says, ‘Stay there’ to his son.

That being said, the actor wasn’t upset with the character’s deeply moving, tragic end.

It was rather a vehicle for the character actor to make the most out of his time while on screen at Man of Steel.

Indeed, whatever one’s opinion is of death, one cannot deny the profoundness of Jonathan’s sacrifice to protect the identity of his adoptive alien son.

Zack Snyder explains his reason for taking Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent

While Costner elevated Jonathan Kent’s act from a noble idiocy to a valiant sacrifice, the actor was not the only one to think it in that way.

The film’s director, Zack Snyder, also explained in an interview that part of the reason for them to cast Costner in that small role was to establish the rich emotional groundwork for the layered film.

Kevin Costner and Dylan Sprayberry in a still from Man of Steel | Credit: Warner Bros.

Speaking to Gizmodo about his reason to cast Costner and Diane Lane, Snyder shared,

I think the thing you realize when you look at Diane and Kevin, in our decision to cast them so far, you sort of get a sense of how tonally we’re looking at the movie, and what you realize is that those guys are serious actors, and we’re taking this s**t f*****g seriously in terms of the tone of having those guys.

Though the Field of Dreams actor was initially apprehensive, it was his nuanced take on the character that added depth to the film and made Henry Cavill’s Superman more than an alien resident of Earth.

Despite not being a human, it was Jonathan Kent’s emotional sacrifice that helped shape Clark Kent’s character as a rounded human.

Man of Steel is currently available to stream on Hulu in the US.