Superman & Lois will soon be getting a new Jonathan Kent, as actor Jordan Elsass, who has portrayed Jonathan for two seasons, has opted not to return to the role.
Warner Bros. TV released the following official statement:
Jordan Elsass has notified the Studio that he will not be returning to Superman & Lois for season three due to personal [reasons. The] role of Jonathan Kent will be recast.
As to the reason for his exit, Elsass recently took to Twitter and expressed his reasons for stepping away:
It’s been a tough few weeks, as you might imagine, everything going on with the show. … It’s sad, it’s a real shame.
I know that I was pumped for Season 3, for sure, but what are you going to do? Mental health is definitely 100 percent priority, there’s no [question. It] is pinnacle. It’s got to take precedence. And mine has been, the last couple of years … it’s been rough. I need some time to myself.
I’m still debating whether or not I’m even going to act for a while. I may go in a different direction. I know that’s definitely going to be disappointing to some people.
Superman & Lois‘ Jonathan Kent – What Jordan Leaves Behind
Elsass’ surprising exit comes after a very strong story arc for his character this past season. As the only Kent son with no powers and still recovering from an injured arm, Jonathan’s future in football and role in the family felt in limbo. The disconnection he feels is strongly influenced by how his brother Jordan (Alex Garfin) is empowered and is one of the most important players on the team.
Upon discovering his girlfriend was dealing a narcotic based on X-Kryptonite that enhanced physical abilities, Jon started using. When he and the other athletes on the team were outed, however, he became the town pariah as the reason the high school football season was sacrificed. By the end of the season, Jon appeared to come into his own with a growing passion in mechanics and looked forward to seeing what Kryptonian technology the new Fortress of Solitude would hold.
Jordan even got to play the flipside of Jonathan this year as Jon-El, Jonathan’s doppelganger, from “Bizarro World.” Not only was he the Kent sibling whose powers manifested, but who fell under that world’s Ally Alston’s cult and became one of her enforcers. In a previous interview, Elsass said it was his favorite part of the season.
It was just so much fun to get into that headspace. I mean, you really feel powerful. And that’s the thing about when you’re really into it and you’re doing the scene: It can drain the life out of you, or it can make you feel like a million bucks.
Playing Jon El, because he’s confident and dark, much like the Joker, I think that is a big similarity there. Heath played it the whole time that he’s very, very confident in any situation and he just does not [care. But] the difference is that Jon El at least wants to be very calculated and meticulous and very calm and cool, but internally he’s still young and obviously he’s still going through it in these high-pressure, high-stress situations.
That was the difficult part, playing into the fact that he’s still the same age as other Jon. He’s still a kid, you know? I had to play into that where it’s not super, super dark. He still doesn’t fully understand how the world works and people’s motives because he’s still young and naïve.
That was an interesting dynamic to play because it’s not just full-out bad guy. There’s still some innocence in him and there’s still some good in him. But he’s a villain in the making, definitely.
At the time of that interview, Jordan gave no indication he was considering stepping away from the role. Given “Bizarro-Jon” survived the finale, and is imprisoned on the regular Earth, whichever actor is chosen to replace Jordan will have the same double duty ahead of him. To date, there’s no choice in mind for Elsass’ replacement.
The third season of Superman & Lois is set to premiere in 2023 on The CW.
Official Source – Superman & Lois to Recast Jonathan Kent After Actor Jordan Elsass Doesn’t Report to Set (comicbook.com)
