First pics of Russell Crowe as Superman’s dad

The first photos of Russell Crowe on the Vancouver set of the new Superman film 'Man of Steel' have emerged.

The Oscar-winning 'Gladiator' star is playing Jor-El - that's Superman's dad of course. He apparently beat Clive Owen and Sean Penn to the role.

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Fans of Supes will remember that the role was previously played, or should that be immortalised, by the late, great Marlon Brando in the 1978 Christopher Reeve film.

Famously, Brando was paid a whopping £2.3 million ($3.7 million) for just two weeks work in the flick. But it was worth it - the white haired nutter gave a memorably intense cameo.

How will Russell Crowe's version compare? It's difficult to say as so far we know almost NOTHING about the plot, and how Jor-El will feature. At present all we've seen is this incredibly boring plot synopsis from the studio that basically confirms: 'yes this is a movie about Superman'.

"Transported to Earth years ago from Krypton, an advanced alien planet, Clark struggles with the ultimate question - Why am I here? Shaped by the values of his adoptive parents Martha (Diane Lane) and Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner), Clark soon discovers that having super abilities means making very difficult decisions. But when the world needs stability the most, it comes under attack. Will his abilities be used to maintain peace or ultimately used to divide and conquer? Clark must become the hero known as "Superman," not only to shine as the world's last beacon of hope but to protect the ones he loves."

Fascinating.

We assume Crowe will be seen in some kind of prologue or flashback sequence, but who knows.

His outfit is certainly different from Brando's monochromatic effort. Think 'Thor' meets 'Lord of the Rings'. We're not really fans but quite like the subtle 'S' insignia on his chest.

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Zack Snyder, the love-him-or-hate-him helmer of '300' and 'Watchmen' is directing the film, with Henry Cavill playing Superman.

Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Michael Shannon, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni, Harry Lennix and Laurence Fishburne have also been cast.

The film will be released on June 14, 2013.