If Marlon Brando Had His Way, He Would Have Looked Like a Bagel in 'Superman'

With no exaggeration, Superman is one of the most iconic fictional characters of all time, recognizable across the globe whether it be through his symbol, suit, or even just the insinuation of a hair curled on the forehead. Decades after the audiences first felt the exhilaration of flight in a movie theater, even after the entertainment landscape has become prevalent with heroes of all kinds, the last son of Krypton continues to stand head and shoulders above his contemporaries. The trailer for James Gunn's Superman broke records by becoming the most viewed trailer in DC and Warner Bros. history, proving just how many audiences still love the legendary big blue.

While the comic book character was foundational in inspiring the entire superhero genre, it was Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie in 1978 that first proved superheroes deserved to be on the silver screen. While it was through Christopher Reeve's shining performance as Superman that Hollywood saw the potential of adapting beloved comic book characters into cinematic epics, the biggest star attached to the movie at the time was Marlon Brando, and he had some peculiar requests regarding his character. Despite just how memorable and iconic Donner's Superman has become in the cultural zeitgeist, Marlon Brando's incredibly unconventional approach to acting at this juncture in his career almost led to the Kryptonians looking less like people, and more like... bagels?​​

Marlon Brando Wanted Kryptonians to Look like Bagels in 'Superman: The Movie'

Even before filming started, Richard Donner knew that he needed to do extra prep work before working with Brando, the details of which he outlined in an interview with IGN. In conversation with another acclaimed auteur, Francis Ford Coppola, Donner learned that Brando could often get carried away with his own conversation, and that it would be better to let the actor tire himself out. Jay Cantor, Brando's agent, gave more direct advice. Cantor shared that Brando was intent on being on film as little as possible and would try to talk his way out of that part of his job. If Brando had his way, Cantor explained, he'd have filmmakers photograph a green suitcase and simply overlay his voice over it.

However, even with this prepared knowledge, Donner still couldn't have fully anticipated what Brando was actually like. When discussing his character for the upcoming film, Brando suggested that Jor-El — wise Kryptonian scientist and Superman's father — should look like a bagel. Yes, a bagel. When Donner asked for an explanation, Brando said,

"Well, this is Krypton. Nobody knows what the people on Krypton look like. What if we look like bagels, but I'm going to make my son look like a human because that's where I'm sending him – to Earth – but everybody else on Krypton looks like bagels. That would really be original."

Donner gave Brando some credit for the original thought, as there technically was no precedent for what alien life should look like. However, before Brando could cement the idea any further, Donner craftily reminded the actor of the fact that audiences are familiar with what Jor-El looks like, having been familiar with the character since 1939. Ultimately, Brando's musings remained nothing more than a creative attempt at avoiding his work, but it was an admirable attempt nonetheless.

Marlon Brando Was the Highest Paid Actor in 'Superman: The Movie'

The sheer outlandishness of Brando's request, while comical, also reflected the sheer star power the actor had during that time. Superman is ostensibly Reeve's film, even with the strong support from Margot Kidman as Lois Lane and Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, but it was Marlon Brando who received top billing and the highest salary in the movie. In an unprecedented move, Brando was paid $3.7 million, and 11.75% backend, for his performance as Jor-El; a performance that resulted in less than 20 minutes of screentime after less than two weeks of actual filming. In comparison, Reeve only earned $250,000 in the titular role. Even if there was tremendous disparity in billing, fans of Superman can at least rejoice that the large investment in Marlon Brando resulted in seeing Marlon Brando, rather than a talking bagel.

Superman: The Movie is streaming on Max in the U.S.

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