The DCEU has been attempting to continue with the upcoming Flash film and several other projects in the works.
It now appears the most iconic DC hero will be returning to the big screen in a new way. Warner Bros is planning a reboot of Superman produced by J.J. Abrams and written by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Taking flight
For the world’s greatest hero, it’s been tough to have Superman return to big-screen glory.
Man of Steel was a box office success, although criticisms for Zack Snyder’s moodier take on the character. Yet Henry Cavill was commanding as Superman and led to Batman v Superman.
Superman and Batman’s (Ben Affleck) showdown with the debut of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) ended with Superman sacrificing himself to stop Doomsday.
This led to Justice League, whose troublesome production has already become a Hollywood legend.
Famously, when Joss Whedon needed to reshoot scenes, Cavill was filming Mission Impossible Fallout, and Paramount refused to allow him to shave his mustache, forcing it to be erased in a laughable CGI effect.
It appears this will be a full reboot which might involve recasting Superman. As of yet, no director has been attached.
The creators
The notable part of this news is who is behind the project, with two names well-established in comic book circles.
Abram’s involvement gives the project more clout. The creator of Lost, Alias, and Fringe is certainly no stranger to reboots. He revived Star Trek in 2009 and then wrote and directed the Star Wars sequels The Force Awakens and Rise of Skywalker.
Coates has been hailed for his insightful non-fiction works before writing Marvel Comics’ Black Panther and Captain America books.
Breaking the news to Shadow and Act, Coates talked of the pride in taking on this project.
“To be invited into the DC Extended Universe by Warner Bros., DC Films and Bad Robot is an honor. I look forward to meaningfully adding to the legacy of America’s most iconic mythic hero.”
Abrams added a statement, saying, “There is a new, powerful and moving Superman story yet to be told.”
This wouldn’t be Abrams’ first shot at Superman. He had written a script for a 2002 reboot of the franchise. Abrams left following several rewrites as the movie would turn into Bryan Singer’s 2006 Superman Returns.
A new Superman?
Recasting the role would be surprising as Cavill still appeared open to return as Superman in a future project. It seems Warner Bros. is interested more in a new take on the Man of Steel.
Already, rumors are swirling that this film will feature a black actor as Superman. This idea gained steam in 2019 with Michael B. Jordan pushing for it when he signed with Warner Bros, but nothing came of it.
The rumors grew when Abrams was reported to be meeting with writers for a new Superman film in late 2020. The addition of Coates only fuels the reports.
Rebooting the Superman DCEU films would not be without precedent. 2022 will have The Batman where Rob Pattinson plays a new Dark Knight completely different from the established DCEU films.
The news comes on the heels of Sasha Calle being cast as Supergirl in the upcoming Flash movie. A new Superman can fit into future DCEU films.
Fans can enjoy Cavill playing Superman’s return as it was meant to be seen in the upcoming Justice League Snyder Cut. This may end up being the last time they see Cavill wearing the “S” symbol with a new Superman about to take flight.
Justice League the Snyder Cut premieres on HBO Max on March 19.