Jordan Elsass may reconsider the acting profession after his recent, abrupt departure from The CW’s Superman & Lois. It was recently announced that Elsass would not be returning as Jonathan Kent due to “personal reasons.” He did not show up in Vancouver to film season 3, and now his part will be recast.
Deadline wasn’t sure if Elsass left because he quit or if he was fired. But all this speculation may be moot now, because Elsass had something to say about it in a Cameo video posted on Twitter earlier this week.
Jordan Elsass speaks out about leaving Superman & Lois
“It’s been a tough few weeks,” Elsass said. “You know, it’s sad, it’s a real shame. I know that, uh, I was pumped for season 3 for certain, but… you know, what’re you gonna do?”
Is it me, or does it sound like he wanted to come back…but couldn’t? Now I think he could have been fired, or perhaps his vaccination status wasn’t up to date. But this is just speculation; who knows the full story?
Elsass did mention that “mental health is definitely 100% priority” and that it will “take precedence.” He also shared that the “last couple years…it’s been kinda rough.” Back in June, Elsass revealed on Instagram that he was checking into a facility for a month to work on his mental health:
It also appears that Elsass has been thinking about giving up acting entirely after leaving Superman & Lois. “I need some time to myself. I think that I may not even–you know, I’m still debating whether or not I’m even gonna act for a while. I may not. I may kind of go in a different direction,” he said.
This would be devastating, but it’s common for young actors to get burnt out really quickly. Elsass has been acting since he was 12 (he is almost 21 now), so it’s been nearly a decade of work, and it just might be catching up with him. We wish him the best in his mental health journey, and I hope that we do see him onscreen at some point in the future.
Superman & Lois fans will miss you, Jordan Elsass!
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels
h/t AV Club