James Gunn reveals why he cast ‘friend' Bradley Cooper in Superman
Gunn explained that he sought someone who could follow in the footsteps of Marlon Brando, who played Jor-El in the 1978 film, and noted Cooper, 'a friend', did it as a favour.
The new Superman film features David Corenswet as the titular hero, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as the villainous Lex Luthor.
The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey gave the film a four-star review, suggesting it would "make you believe in superhero movies again."
The film achieved a global opening weekend total of $217m, surpassing initial projections and becoming the second biggest domestic earner of 2025 on its opening day.
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The Guardian
22 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Superman: identity crises, fascist space holograms and a super furry animal
James Gunn's Superman is a curious film: so earnest, so heartfelt, and so defiantly weird it sometimes feels less like a reboot of the world's most iconic superhero and more like an elaborate fan project. Most of us will be relieved we've said goodbye to the heavy metal space Jesus of the Zack Snyder years, and that Gunn has avoided paying too much retro cosplay tribute to the Christopher Reeve era. This is undeniably a Superman we've never seen before on the big screen: a Kal-El who's deeply human, flawed, and more likable for it. The new Man of Steel, played with boyish charm and the right amount of golden retriever energy by David Corenswet, spends most of the movie juggling black holes, battling clone siblings, and dealing with the looming realisation that his space dad might have been one bad day away from full-blown genocide. And yet there's always the sneaking suspicion he would break off from all this in a second if you asked him to fix your router and play Enya until your existential dread subsides. Here's a deep dive into the new movie's themes and revelations, as we all try to work out whether Gunn has reinvented the superhero film – or just lovingly detonated it. We're used to Superman being first on to the scene. In Richard Donner's 1978 classic, Kal-El was greeted with wonder and open-mouthed awe by a terrestrial population who had never seen anything like him. But in the new DCU, we learn that superheroes have been around on this version of Earth for centuries. Superman isn't even the first of his kind in the modern era, and this completely recolours how people see him – presumably because, across those decades, the whole 'metahuman' thing must have had as many PR disasters as miracle saves. Which brings us to the Justice Gang: Nathan Fillion's Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), Edi Gathegi's Mister Terrific, and Isabela Merced's Hawkgirl. We're never quite sure if they're supposed to be the good guys, or just government-licensed super-Narcs with branding. But their presence amplifies the sense that humanity has yet to get its collective head around these costumed anomalies. And who can blame them, when Gardner is a one-man HR complaint, Mister Terrific delivers every line like he's moderating his own Ted Talk, and Hawkgirl has all the enthusiasm of a substitute teacher on the last day of term? There's clearly a fair amount of suspicion around superheroes – a tension that's exploited by the villainous Luthor to portray Superman as a ticking alien timebomb in a cape. Did you buy the evil tech bro's raging hatred and distrust of the Man of Steel? This is one pillar of the Superman mythos that Gunn chose not to jettison, but I would have loved to know quite why Lex is so determined to take Kal-El down, especially when there are plenty of other metaheroes around to interrogate, sideline, or frame for an alien tech conspiracy of your own making. Is he just livid that Superman keeps saving people for free, completely devaluing the scalable, app-based rescue model Lex had soft-launched in beta? Does he secretly loathe the idea of a being who can fly, lift mountains and still doesn't own a single crypto wallet? Could it all boil down to the unbearable truth that Superman became Earth's most beloved figure without raising seed funding, writing a thought-leader thread, or launching a podcast? Much has been made of erstwhile TV Superman Dean Cain's horrified reaction to Gunn imagining the last son of Krypton as the ultimate immigrant hero (even though this has been part of the superhero's identity since at least 1938). But if this version of Luthor really is supposed to be a cipher for Maga views on alien invaders, isn't he a strange one? He's certainly too polished and corporate to convincingly stand in for a movement that would more likely have live-streamed that bit where they storm the Fortress of Solitude. It may still be year zero in the new DCU, but it's still a blessed relief that Gunn has avoided giving us portals to other dimensions, alternate timelines and cameos from moustachioed Supermen from Earth-47. This doesn't mean, however, that the comic-book weirdness hasn't been dialled up to 11, as we're still treated to a pocket universe, a dumb version of Supes who's controlled by Luthor with hi-tech drones and a manual for every single move ever seen in Mortal Kombat, and a guy (Metamorpho) who's capable of turning his own leg into Kryptonite in order to take down Kal-El. This is big, bonkers sci-fi, but it's refreshingly self-contained and also a rare thing: a superhero film more interested in identity than interdimensional travel. No collapsing timelines, no digital resurrections, and no mid-credits cameos from Nicolas Cage in a wireframe suit. Just one Superman, one moral crisis, and one very complicated crystal palace full of daddy issues. Which brings us to … Perhaps Gunn's bravest – and most controversial – move is to completely retcon the story of how Superman got to Earth in the first place. Rather than Jor-El and Lara lovingly placing the baby Kryptonian into a space capsule and sending him across the cosmos as a gift to humanity, it turns out they targeted our solar system so baby Supes could go full Zod the moment he grew up. Suddenly, this is the comic-book movie reimagined as a sci-fi identity crisis – built out of grief, clones, and orphan guilt, then dunked in a vat of Kryptonian tech and fired out of a narrative T-shirt cannon. Rather than a Superman who descends from the heavens in slow motion to save the world with a glinting kiss curl, he's more like a farm boy in the throes of an existential meltdown, awkwardly squeezing into his dad's super-suit while discovering that his entire origin story might be a lie. Worse still, he learns this in front of a watching world that's already crowned him as saviour, symbol, and all-purpose moral compass. In moments like these, it's as if Gunn has given us The Truman Show – if Truman could fly, shoot lasers, and was being emotionally micromanaged by a fascist space hologram. Is this the new DC big cheese making Superman's backstory more interesting? Or just seeing how many daddy issues he can cram into one cape? Superman's best friend is an absolute scene-stealer, a brilliant mix of emotional support animal and furry missile. If anyone's going to get a spin-off in this brave new DC world, it's surely the laser-eyed pooch who could probably take out Darkseid if you gave him a chew toy and pointed him in the right direction. Later on in the movie, we find out he actually belongs to Kal-El's cousin Kara Zor-El, played by Milly Alcock, after she turns up to engage in some sarky super-banter with Superman. Apparently Kara's not around a lot because she prefers partying on planets where she can actually get drunk. This is definitely not your dad's Supergirl. It's just one more element of Superman that made me think that, despite the tonal unevenness, the clone chaos and the occasional Kryptonian info-dump, I'm still genuinely intrigued to see where Gunn plans to take us next. Because even if it doesn't always fly straight, this is definitely a DC we've not seen before. What did you think? Is this the rebirth Superman needed – or just an interstellar therapy session with a cape and a dog?
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Who is Joe Rogan's VERY private wife Jessica Ditzel as the podcaster's family are seen enjoying mega-yacht vacation
While his bond with US President Donald Trump seems to be fraying, Joe Rogan 's relationship with his wife of 15 years, Jessica Ditzel, is still going strong. While the controversial podcast host of The Joe Rogan Experience is known for his divisive opinions - and publicly sharing them on multiple platforms - his wife is the opposite. Ditzel, 49, is known as a very private person - she rarely makes appearances at events and doesn't have any public social media accounts. Sharing her stance on privacy in her Instagram bio, it states: 'Anonymity is underrated.' The former model was spotted over the weekend with her husband and two youngest daughters on a super yacht, with Rogan and Ditzel looking loved up in exclusive pictures obtained by Daily Mail. The media mogul, 57, who is known for his UFC commentating and has cultivated a large MAGA following, was seen on board the OKTO, a 218-foot vessel, off the coast of Venice on Saturday. The massive 2014-vintage yacht (and its 16-member crew) costs between $561,000 to $642,000 a week to charter. The luxurious OKTO boasts a huge infinity pool on the main deck, jacuzzi, cinema, gym, helipad and five staterooms for 10 guests. With Ditzel spotted on board enjoying some time with Rogan, FEMAIL takes a look at their relationship and what is known about the mysterious wife of the podcast host. Who is Jessica Ditzel? Ditzel was born in Sugar Land, Texas. She then went on to complete a bachelor's degree in arts and technical theatre at California State University, per Sportskeeda. She later attended the University of Arizona where she got a degree in phycology and molecular biology. The blonde beauty has worked as a model as well as several sources reporting she previously worked as a product analyst. But she was working as a cocktail waitress at a bar in Los Angeles when she first met Rogan in 2001. The couple married in 2009 despite Rogan previously saying that he is against marriage. 'I had to [marry her],' Rogan told the Palm Beach Post in July 2009. 'Not really had to, but you know, she made a baby. [It's] like, "God, all right, I'll sign a silly legal contract." What she did was way more of a commitment.' Rogan has spoken about his wife several times, telling comedian Andrew Schultz earlier in the year that he and his wife don't hold back in their conversations. 'If she wants to talk about something, she'll bring it up,' he explained on his podcast. 'Like if she wants to talk about something heavy, it's not like I wouldn't talk about something heavy with her, but generally like I come home from work, she's been with the kids she's doing this and that, we eat dinner, we have fun, "How was school?," have a good time, maybe we'll watch a little Severance together,' he added. The couple share three daughters Ditzel has a daughter from a previous relationship, Kayja Rose, who was born in 1996. After Kayja's biological father, whom several publications have reported was Keven 'Dino' Conner of the R&B group H-Town, died in a car accident in 2003, with Rogan adopting Kayja in 2009. Rogan spoke to host Rosie O'Donnell on a January 2012 episode of The Rosie Show, describing his adopted daughter was not just his child but also 'like his friend.' 'I've worked really hard on making sure we talk to each other as openly as possible, even about boys, weird stuff she feels uncomfortable talking about, it's really important that I have conversations with her where she never feels like she's out of the loop,' he explained at the time. The couple also share Lola, 17, and Rosy, 14. The family now live in Lake Austin, Texas. Rogan describes his wife as 'dedicated' and 'kind' While the media personality doesn't talk about his family that often, he has shared small details of his life at home throughout the years. In 2015, he told Rolling Stone that Ditzel lets him do 'whatever I do,' which is part of why their relationship is successful. 'That's how we get along well. She doesn't f*** with me. A prenup? Of course. I'm ridiculous and dumb, but I'm not stupid,' Rogan added. Rogan appeared on the Lex Fridman Podcast in 2022, where he described his wife as 'really nice.' 'You wanna be with someone who's like genuinely kind,' he said passionately. 'That's one of the things that I really love about my wife,' the UFC color commentator added. 'She is a dedicated disciplined person. She is also really nice. That's one of the things I like the most about her.' He added his advice for couples is to 'find someone you can grow with,' and with whom you share the same values. 'You don't wanna be with someone who makes excuses, you don't wanna be with someone who's lazy,' Rogan listed as examples. Rogan has also described Ditzel as 'fun' and as someone who is 'always smiling.' 'She's happy, she's a happy person,' Rogan told Fridman. 'She's happy to be around - that's the kind of people you could have in your life as friends, as coworkers, as lovers, as wives and husbands. When you find those people, your life is better.' Ditzel and Rogan moved around together before settling in Texas Ditzel and Rogan currently live in Austin, Texas, after moving from Bell Canyon, California in 2020. Rogan has previously said that California's strict COVID-19 restrictions were partly why they made the move to Texas. 'Everything's shut down, everything's staying shut down,' he recalled of the pandemic in California,' per 'All my friends that were in the restaurant industry were struggling.' Rogan gushed about his new city in a 2023 episode of the Oil and Whiskey podcast, describing it as 'cool as hell.' 'Austin is a f***ing great town! The people are cool as hell, the food's amazing, and it's a great live music scene,' he said enthusiastically. 'It's just a great place to live and for comedians.' The couple were living in Gold Hill, Colorado, before they tied the knot, and had plans to move Denver before Ditzel found out she was pregnant in 2008. 'I was there for four months. We planned on living there for a year, then maybe permanently,' Rogan said in an episode of his podcast, per Newsweek. 'But, along the way, my wife got pregnant and we were at 8,500 feet above sea level. And it was just, it's brutal.' Rogan and Ditzel's $14.4 million family mansion on Lake Austin is also where he records his highly-successful podcast. The couple purchased the home in 2020, with the 4-acre property comes with 300 feet of Lake Austin frontage, according to the original listing. The 11,000-square-foot mansion was built in 2008 and offers eight bedrooms and 10 baths.
Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Fox Sports football reporter who quit ESPN over Disney's Covid vaccine mandate gets huge NFL promotion
Allison Williams has landed herself a new role as an NFL sideline reporter at Fox Sports, as she prepares to replace one of their long-standing presenters. Williams will be looking to make further strides at the network which she joined in 2022, after her unceremonious exit from rival broadcasters ESPN a year prior. In 2021, Williams left ESPN after they refused to accommodate her decision not to get the COVID-19 vaccine because she was trying to get pregnant. The Walt Disney Company, which owns ESPN, mandated that all cast members need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 - however Williams was trying for a child and announced that she would not be getting it. She eventually left the network - where she worked on the sidelines at college football and basketball games - and swiftly joined Fox Sports. Since then, she has worked as a college football sideline reporter and studio host for Fox however, she is now set to make another step forward in her career. According to Front Office Sports, Williams will take on the role of NFL sideline reporter on one of the network's announce teams this season and replace the departing Laura Okmin. Okmin will bid farewell to the network after turning down a contract extension. She is the third-longest-tenured sideline reporter in NFL history. Okmin explained that it feels like the right time to walk away from her current role and focus on her company, GALvanize, which mentors young women in the sports world. Williams, meanwhile, looks to have settled at Fox Sports after her exit from ESPN four years ago. She was initially barred from working on the sidelines of college football games this season because she refused to comply with the network's vaccine mandate while she and her husband try for their second child. In an Instagram video shared at the time, a visibly emotional Williams said that her 'request for accommodation' had been denied, about a month after announcing she would be sitting the season out because she hadn't yet received the vaccination. 'Ultimately, I can not put a paycheck over principal and I will not sacrifice something I believe in strongly to maintain a career,' Williams said near-tears in the video. Shortly after that, she confirmed that she would be 'separating' from ESPN. 'Belief is a word I've been thinking about a lot lately, because in addition to the medical apprehensions regarding my desire to have another child in regards to receiving this injection, I am also so morally and ethically not aligned with this,' Williams said. 'And I've had to really dig deep and analyze my values and my morals, and ultimately I need to put them first.' 'And the irony in all this is that a lot of those same values and principals I hold so dear are what made me a really good employee and probably helped with the success that I've been able to have in my career.' Williams, who had been with the network since 2011, said she was having trouble coming to terms with the fact that the national championship game she covered in January, 2021, may now be the last college football game she will work.
