Supergirl's newest official still may tease that Jor-El's major DC Comics role is being replaced. Last year's Superman controversially revealed that Jor-El and his wife, Lara Lor-Van, sent their son, David Corenswet's Kal-El, to conquer and rule Earth while continuing their Kryptonian lineage. That twist, of course, proved controversial among the fandom and for the citizens of the DCU, but many have held out hope that this year's Supergirl spin-off will clarify the controversial retcon.
Supergirl will add two new Kryptonian characters to the DCU in the birth parents of Milly Alcock's Kara: David Krumholtz's Zor-El and Emily Beecham's Alura In-Ze. They are expected to appear through flashbacks to Krypton's demise and torturous, prolonged survivals through the remnants of Argo City.
Empire Magazine released brand-new Supergirl stills ahead of its release, including one featuring Krumholtz's Zor-El, who, like his brother, happens to be a Kryptonian scientist. In the still, Zor-El certainly gives off the vibe of a benevolent scientist trying to convince his people of an all-important discovery, leaving some to wonder whether he could assume Jor-El's role of uncovering Krypton's fate.
Traditionally, Superman's father, Jor-El, a Kryptonian scientist, is the one to discover that their world is set for demise, only for his warnings to be dismissed as pure hysteria and ultimately be proven right with Krypton's destruction. As James Gunn's DCU has already transformed Jor-El into more of a morally grey character, perhaps he will fill that void as the first to discover Krypton's looming demise.
Another Supergirl still revealed Zor-El cradling Beecham's pregnant Alura, hinting that Krypton flashbacks will go back even before Kara's birth. Perhaps his daughter's nearing birth may be part of what drives Zor-El to find a way to preserve Argo City and his family after discovering Krypton's fate.
Even in the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comics, Zor-El has an important role to play in Krypton's destruction. Seeking to save as many people as possible, Zor-El built a protective dome around Argo City to protect its citizens from the looming catastrophe, only for it to face further peril and death once again, leading him and his wife, Alura, to send Kara to Earth, where she joined her cousin, Kar-El.
Supergirl flies into theaters on Friday, June 26, also starring Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa, Eve Ridley, Matthias Schoenaerts, and David Corenswet.
Why James Gunn's DCU Should Shift Jor-El's Story to Zor-El
From dying a natural death to an intentional genocide from a major DC villain, Krypton's destruction has had many causes across DC adaptations. In Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, on which this year's Supergirl is based, Krypton died as a result of overmining its core, leading the planet to become unstable and implode.
With Supergirl timed to release between Superman and Man of Tomorrow, many have theorized that James Gunn's DCU will make some changes. The DCU could follow in the footsteps of My Adventures with Superman and Injustice and have Man of Tomorrow villain Brainiac be responsible for Krypton's death.
If that were the case, Zor-El could be the first to foresee that Krypton would be the next to face an attack from Brainiac once he had already pillaged a string of other planets for knowledge. However, those warnings would undoubtedly be ignored, prompting him to preserve his home, Argo City, in a protective bubble.
Even if Krypton's demise came about in the usual ways, through the negligence of its own citizens, it makes sense to shift Jor-El's role to his brother, Zor-El. For one, the story of the planet's end is unfolding in Supergirl, not Superman, meaning that it makes narrative sense to link her family into things in an even more crucial way, especially as most expect Bradley Cooper's Jor-El cameo was a one-off anyway.
