After months of rumors about the direction of the character, Warner Bros. is finally moving ahead with a Superman reboot written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and produced by J.J. Abrams. There is no director attached to the film yet, and more notably, the search for a new actor to play the classic DC Comics character will start at a later date, which seemingly suggests that Man of Steel star Henry Cavill will not be returning. (However, fans can see Cavill’s Superman one last time in the upcoming Snyder Cut release.) Shadow and Act was the first to break the news (which was confirmed by Deadline) of the reboot, along with a statement from Coates:
“To be invited into the DC Extended Universe by Warner Bros., DC Films and Bad Robot is an honor,” said Coates in a statement received only by Shadow and Act. “I look forward to meaningfully adding to the legacy of America’s most iconic mythic hero.”
Abrams also gave S&A a statement saying there’s a “new, powerful and moving Superman story yet to be told” and he calls Coates’ writing for the new film “brilliant.” While known for his powerful, in-depth books and essays on race that inspired Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen for HBO, Coates is no stranger to the superhero world albeit for the competition. Coates has delivered critically acclaimed work for Marvel Comics after first tackling Black Panther before moving onto Captain America. Given that Cap’s character traits closely match those of Superman, Coates experience with the Marvel hero makes him even more primed to tackle a new cinematic take on the Man of Steel.
UPDATE: THR confirms that the new film is being “set up as a Black Superman story,” and adds that Michael B. Jordan, who tried to get a similar project off the grounds a few years ago, could eventually be approached to star.
(Via Shadow and Act & Deadline)
