An Interview With Christopher McDonald, Daily Planet's Political Journalist
- UpRising Editors
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
[THE MAIN EVENT]
The man who plays Metropolis' top reporter talks Superman, James Gunn, and why he would support a Mr. Terrific spinoff.
Here’s a Superman easter egg: Ron Troupe, a Black politics reporter at the Daily Planet, debuted in issue 480 of Adventures of Superman. First-time actor Christopher McDonald brought the character to the big screen in the superhero franchise's latest film.
Director James Gunn, known for having deep comic book knowledge, is notorious for casting friends in bit roles. McDonald, whose main gig is booking talent on The Kelly Clarkson Show, is certainly in Gunn’s close friend circle. He hopes the character sticks around. (More on that later.)
On the eve of Superman's streaming debut, McDonald sat with UpRising to discuss the film's making and its stellar reception.
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UpRising: Tell me about Ron Troupe.
Christopher McDonald: He’s a serious journalist—a political reporter at the Daily Planet. He’s married to Lucy Lane, Lois’ sister [in the comics]. They have a kid. There’s even a storyline in the comics where he interviews Bill Clinton. I love that. And personally, it brought me full circle. I was a journalism major, wrote for the school paper, covered political beats. To play someone like that—it’s poetic.
The way you landed this role is unique. Take us back to the moment James Gunn cast you in the part.
I was sitting with my son. It was December 2023. My wife was on a girls’ trip in Turks & Caicos—important detail, which I’ll explain in a second. I get a text from James: “You still in Atlanta?” I’d lived in L.A. for 24 years, but had recently relocated. He says he’s going to be spending time at his place in Atlanta—he’s shooting Peacemaker and Superman partially down there.
Then he goes, “Selfishly, I’m hitting you up. Be at my house. Let’s hang. I’d love to see you and [my wife], Brenda.” Cool, I say. Then: “Secondly, I want to know if you’re into this,” and he sends me a Google link for Ron Troupe.
I didn’t recognize the character right away. He came into the comics in the early ’90s, and by then I wasn’t reading religiously. I just saw it was a brother in glasses. Even then, I’m thinking—there’s no way he’s talking about Superman…for me?
So what was the play?
I kind of tiptoed around it: “So… what are you saying here?” And he goes, “I get it—you’re busy, and this is last-minute—but it’d be fun to have you on set.” I’m still confused. I finally just ask: “Are you asking me to be in this?” He says, “Oh yeah, I’d love for you to play this character.” I’m [saying] "Is this Peacemaker?" He goes, “No, it’s Superman. [Ron Troupe] is part of the Daily Planet.” And then, like James always does, he tries to give me an out: “If you’re busy, no worries. I’ll find something else.”
Imagine a Gen-X man turning down an opportunity to be in Superman.
Right? I was like, "I’ll make it work." I’m sitting there thinking, Damn, I want to tell my wife, but I’m not supposed to say anything yet. And she’s in Turks with her friends. I knew if I texted her, the entire trip would know by morning.
Superman is available for on-demand streaming as of this week. How are you feeling about how the film has been received by viewers?
It’s been amazing! Everyone is loving the movie exactly for what James set out to emote from people—and that's hope, kindness and the promise of a better future. While we filmed, if we ever got remotely comedic or intense with our delivery, he would stop down between takes and tell us, "Guys, remember... this movie is meant to feel hopeful. It's not wacky. It's not comedic. This isn't Guardians. This is about hope and promise." And it was mission accomplished.
You’ve known James for some time. What struck you about him in the early years?
He was already writing—he had Dawn of the Dead under his belt, which I loved. Everyone knows him as a director now... but for me, at that time, he was a signature writer. As someone who writes myself, I was blown away by his discipline and point of view.
You mentioned you saw something interesting on an industry list. What was that?
My writing partner and I had a manager who gave us access to this master list from CAA—basically a roadmap of films for the next 15-20 years. Huge blockbuster titles, each one with wishlist directors and cast. And I kept seeing James Gunn’s name next to all these massive properties: Thor, Iron Man, Transformers, even Godzilla. And the note next to every single one? “James Gunn: passing.” This was around 2004, so it was kind of ahead of the Marvel universe.
I saw James a few days later and told him. He said, “Yeah, I passed on all of them. I need to write, produce, and direct. It has to be mine, start to finish.” I thought, you’re out of your mind—you’re never going to work again. But he had a vision. And now? He’s not just directing Superman, he runs the whole DC studio.
What’s his superpower as a director?
Vision. Without question. It’s the way he sees the entire machine: casting, lighting, story, tone. Every detail matters to him. On Superman, he brought the cast together almost every night. We’d have dinner, smoke cigars, talk film. I’ve never seen someone work like that—he’ll direct a movie while writing an entire season of Peacemaker on the side.
Can you share a moment where you saw that vision in full force on set?
Absolutely. The first scene I shot is the one from the trailer—Clark Kent walking through the Daily Planet. It was a five-minute continuous take, shot with about 20 cameras in a fully built-out office space. We’re talking 100 extras, real desks, fog machines, old phones, hand-written notes on our desks—it felt like stepping into a real newsroom.
And James ran that whole scene like a conductor. From Video Village, giving notes, hitting every camera angle. He didn’t need 30 takes—he nailed it in a handful. You don’t fake that kind of control.
Did you guys realize Mr. Terrific would have the impact he's having?
I heard James say, "The world is going to love Edi as Mr. Terrific" several times during dinners on the evenings following production. He stuck the landing! I am so proud of Edi. I've paid attention to his career for many years because he's a Black man on film. And I've always been cognizant of his characters being sidelined for the even bigger characters in his projects. So seeing him shine in this character, and seeing the world finally give him his flowers puts the biggest smile on my face.
James has said he already has the outline for the next film. Are you hoping to be in the next installment?
I'm going to plead the 5th on this question! [Laughs] But that answer answers your question, right? I will tell you this, though: The DC Universe is expansive, and there is going to be a lot of world building and cross-pollinating. For example, it was revealed this week that Sydney Happersen [Lex Luthor's scientist employee with the bifocal glasses] is going to be in Peacemaker, season 2. So if they make a Mr. Terrific film, I hope Ron Troupe gets to be in it. After all, we brothers have to stick together.
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Stream Superman this weekend.
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