‘Superman’: Neva Howell To Play Ma Kent In James Gunn’s DC Movie

Georgia-born actress Neva Howell will portray Martha Kent, Clark Kent’s adoptive Earth mother, in Warner Bros/DC Studios’ Superman, from filmmaker and studio co-boss James Gunn.

The news comes in the wake of Pruitt Taylor Vince landing the role of Pa Kent, who is Martha’s husband.

Howell joins a list of those who’ve played Ma Kent on the big screen that includes Phyllis Thaxter in Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman, Eva Marie Saint in Bryan Singer’s 2006 Superman Returns, and Diane Lane in Zack Snyder’s 2013 Man of Steel.

Howell joins the Georgia shoot of Superman which features Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, David Corenswet in the title role, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Wendell Pierce as Daily Planet editor Perry White, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho. The movie hits theaters on July 11, 2025.

Howell’s feature credits include Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Long Haul, Steven Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky and My Fellow Americans.

Superman is the first installment in Gunn and Peter Safran’s revived DC Universe entitled “Gods and Monsters.”

Said Gunn about Superman at the DC presser in January 2023: “It’s not an origins story, it focuses on Superman’s balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He’s the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, he’s kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.”

Warner Bros have released seven movies starring Superman, altogether grossing $2.8 billion at the global box office, unadjusted for inflation.