It’s looking like a Black Superman is one step closer to manifesting as a reality. Though history has seen the iconic superhero portrayed by Christopher Reeves, Brandon Routh, and Henry Cavill in his many cinematic appearances, it would appear that Warner Bros is looking to shake things up for their next go-around with the Man Of Steel.
According to a new report from The Hollywood Reporter, the studio is on the search for a black actor to don the cape for the next film, which features Ta-Nahisi Coates on board as screenwriter and J.J. Abrams as producer. In the case of Abrams, THR specifies that he is not being considered as a director, with the report citing a source that suggests a white director helming the first Black Superman movie would be “tone-deaf.”
“Superman” screenwriter Ta Nehisis-Coates. Ismael Quintanilla/Getty Images
As such, the search for both a Black director and star is currently ongoing, a process that will apparently find WB directly competing with Marvel, who will be scouring a similar list of Black filmmakers for the upcoming Blade. As for the leading man — it should be noted that Michael B. Jordan was previously rumored to be interested in the project, though he neglected to confirm whether there was any truth to those particular rumblings. “I’m flattered that people have me in that conversation,” he explained. “It’s definitely a compliment, but I’m just watching on this one.”
As of now, Coates is projected to wrap up his script, which will draw influence from some of the classic Superman comics, by the end of the year, which suggests that the next Superman movie is still a ways away. It should be interesting to see how this one plays out, so be sure to keep a watchful eye as news on the upcoming flick develops. Being that casting is in a purely speculative state, sound off with your own wishlist in the comments below.
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