Superman's Dad Says 'Honesty' Saves 'Man Of Steel' Role
In "Man of Steel," Kevin Costner plays Jonathan Kent, Superman's Earth-born father. The film examines Superman's origins and the dichotomy of his relationships with both Jonathan and Jor-El (Russell Crowe), his Kryptonian father. Despite the obvious differences between the two characters, Costner told MTV News he didn't want his role in the film to be that of a killjoy for the rest of its fantastical fun.
"You certainly didn't want to drag the movie down by being real, and being honest, and going, ah, this is what makes Man of Steel different -- they've got this boring part," Costner said with a laugh. "But you're always looking for honesty, you know, what seemed honest at the time."
Costner is no stranger to playing roles where he more or less embodies Americana. His turns in films like "Field Of Dreams" and "Bull Durham" centered around the American Dream. He suggested that even by carrying that role again in "Man Of Steel," it was interesting to be able to pose questions and project uncertainty in the face of such enormous mystery.
"You can be honestly confused," he said. "And you can be honestly jealous. And you can be honestly emotional. It's just a matter of being honest with it, and if it sits inside the film, we know where the film has to get to."
Comparing his work with what Russell Crowe had to do, he suggested that he looked at his cinematic world in an appropriately different way, but one which laid the groundwork for the title character to realize his full potential. "I'm sure that Russell approached it by just being honest and real and otherworldly," he observed. "This was grounded. Lunch came in a box or a bag, and the truck was only fixed by you. And that's honest -- and then Superman has to become Superman."
Check out everything we've got on "Man of Steel," out Friday.
