With Ta-Nehisi Coates set to write the next Superman movie, with J.J. Abrams producing for Warner Bros, speculation hit that it would finally introduce a Black Superman.
There have been Black Supermen in DC Comics in the past, and it has nothing to do with Clark Kent, but it still has some fans up in arms about a non-white version of the hero.
Despite this, the chance to see the Calvin Ellis Superman on the big screen is exciting, and many fans have looked to Michael B. Jordan to play the hero.
While promoting his new Prime Video movie Without Remorse, based on the Tom Clancy novel of the same name, Jordan addressed these rumors.
Michael B. Jordan on playing a Black Superman
There have been seven Superman movies if you count Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Every one of them focused on the Clark Kent version of Superman.
However, there are other versions of Superman in the multiverse, including two Black Supermen. One of these is Calvin Ellis, a man who both operated as Superman and was the President of the United States.
When asked about playing Calvin Ellis, the Black Superman, in the movie that Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing, Jordan seemed honored but didn’t seem like it was on the table for him.
“It’s smart of DC to grab Ta-Nehisi to go ahead and adapt that project,” Jordan said.
“He’s incredibly talented. It’s going to be worth checking out. I’m flattered that people have me in that conversation. It’s definitely a compliment, but I’m just watching on this one.”
Who is Ta-Nehisi Coates?
Coates made his name originally when he wrote the 2014 feature “The Case for Reparations” for The Atlantic. However, comic book fans got to know him when he started his groundbreaking work on Black Panther.
His work on Black Panther has been nothing less than extraordinary and was a huge basis for what became the Black Panther movie. He has also worked on Captain America, showing an America that seemed willing to accept a fascist dictator like Red Skull to influence them.
For the Superman movie, there is no word that Coates will bring in a Black Superman, but it is expected by most who have followed his work.
While Michael B. Jordan is denying he is up for the role of a Black Superman, he did try to get a movie in development in 2019 and he has ties to Coates.
Jordan played Killmonger in Black Panther and also produced the superhero movie Raising Dion for Netflix.