ABlack Supermanis coming. DC films are in a moment of transition. It has been a year since James Gunn and Peter Safran were hired to be the new heads of DC Studios, and they have unveiled their ambitious plans for a new slate of DC movies that will make up the DCU. WithAquaman and the Lost Kingdomnow out - all the pre-Gunn DC movies have been released, and it’s time for Gunn to finally pave the way for a new DCU that so far is moving along nicely withSuperman: Legacyabout to begin filming andSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’s lead role being cast. Yet there is another Superman movie that fans are still curious about, one that involves a Black Superman.
Legendary American author Ta-Nehisi Coates had signed a deal with DC long before the movie franchise was thrown into such chaos, and hiscontract still standsunder Gunn’s plans for the new DCU. Coates’s idea for the film was to cast an African-American actor as Superman and to work with the character as he was in the golden-age comics. Working with J.J. Abrams’ production company Bad Robot, the movie would not interfere with James Gunn’sSuperman: Legacybut would exist in parallel to the DCU like Matt Reeves’The Batman. A Black Superman may not be the hero we deserve, but he’s the one we need right now.
Update July 03, 2025: This article has been updated following recent developments around Ta-Nehisi Coates Superman movie and recent news regardingSuperman: Legacyand the cancellation ofSuperman & Lois.
Ta-Nehisi Coates and Superman
Ta-Nehisi Coates and Superman go together like Clark Kent and the Daily Planet. The prolific author made a name for himself as a columnist atThe Atlanticand is best known for his works like his novelBetween the World and Meand his fearless essays likeI’m not Black, I’m Kanye. Coates also wrote beloved runs ofBlack PantherandCaptain Americafor Marvel Comics and was asked to work on the firstBlack Panthermovie for the MCU. He has proved an astounding ability to connect with his readers while delivering massively impactful truths that some people may not want to hear. His profound voice as a writer in the Black community makes him the perfect person to create areboot for Superman, and Superman has a lot to offer the Black community.
Though, the idea of a Black Superman seems like it would meet a similar uproar as the Black 007 did inNo Time to Die. People, especially white people, came out of the theaters feeling threatened, knowing that this was Daniel Craig’s lastBondmovie. People who were upset knew that Lyssana Lynch was not going to be the new James Bond, but just had the moniker of 007, but they still faked an outrage out of rather racist beliefs. Sadly,racist backlashis nothing new as we’ve seen it with franchises like The Little Mermaid and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, to name a few.
Related:Superman Returns 2: The Cancelled Sequel That Would Have Brought Brainiac or Bizarro to the Big Screen
That’s not to say that Superman’s ethnicity is not important, but it is one with a lot of context. When people normally think of Superman, they see the tall, square-jawed white man. When Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman, they did so as a reflection of their stories as Jewishimmigrants to the United States. They were part of an oppressed minority and made Superman a symbol of strength they could latch onto. Many superheroes from the Golden and Silver Age of comics were made by Jewish creators, but the characters were meant as ways for them to be accepted by the larger world.
Video essayist La’Ron Reedus outlined how race becomes a subtextual element to a lot of these comic book characters in his videoWhy DCEU Aquaman Isn’t Whiteand highlights why so many comic characters are white but also why so many of them can be adapted and reimagined with other races using the example of casting Pacifican-Islander Jason Mamoa as the traditionally blonde haired Aquaman.
What a Black Superman Can Offer Us
The first thing fans need to understand is there is no reason why Superman can’t be Black. He isn’t like that isn’t the comics is not a good reason, because there is always a first time for everything. He originally couldn’t fly in the comics either, but outside media made that decision, and now it is one of the defining parts of the character. Also there is nothing to say that he can’t be Black, as he isKryptonian. A made-up alien race can be whatever skin color a creator deems.
But it’s the storytelling possibilities that a Black Superman opens up. While now associated as a figure of authority, originally, Superman was much more a hero of the people. His first few issues had him taking down crooked landlords and real-estate developers. He was the original social justice warrior. Superman isn’t the defender of the strong, savior of the comfort zone, and keeper of the status quo. He is a superhero who is uniquely apt to remind us all of who needed defending in the first place: the immigrants, the oppressed, and those kept on the outside of society despite living in the same town. A Black Superman is more in keeping with the original version of the character introduced in the pages ofAction Comics#1 in 1938.
The idea of a Black Superman offers more than another white man who might be mistaken for a generational American. He starts to represent a conflict that has existed at the very heart of America since its birth: a country of freedom built with slaves, a nation of equality that demanded separation, and a dream that has been used to placate us while people rage over the skin color of a comic book character.
The Latest Updates on Coates’s Superman Movie
Ta-Nehisi Coates’s take on Superman was initially announced way back in 2021. Since then, there has been a painfully long period of radio silence regarding the project. Gunn offered a small update in May last year to say the project was still happening, but that was overladen with multiple rumors that the project had been canceled. Thankfully,Gunn has recently taken to social mediato confirm that the film is still very much in development.
Taking to Threads, the often forgotten counterpart to Instagram, Gunn answered a fan’s question about whether the project was still happening, to which, in true James Gunn fashion, he simply answered: “Yes”.
Related:What Does James Gunn’s New Superman Mean for the Future of the DCU?
Gunn’s fresh slate of DCU projects, labeled under the ‘Gods and Monsters’ is currently underway andSuperman: Legacyis about to start production. This, if anything, might be what delaysSuperman: Legacy. It was recently confirmed thatSuperman & Loisis ending on the CW not because of the network wanting it to end, but because of Warner Bros. They don’t want two Superman projects competing with each other, and notably,Superman & Loiswill conclude in the winter of 2024 or early 2025, just a few months beforeSuperman: Legacyopens in theaters.
Almost every other detail of Coates’s Superman movie is currently TBC, as the project is still in early development. The project is yet to be given an official title, cast, or release date. However, with Gunn’sSuperman: Legacyset to release in 2025 and now it is known Warner Bros. does not want two major Superman products competing, it is likely that Coates’s movie will have to wait a little longer to make it to the big screen, depending on how wellSuperman: Legacydoes.
Elseworlds
It has already been confirmed that Coates’s Superman will take place outside the main DCU continuity, much like Matt Reeves’The Batman, but more has now been offered about how this will work. DC’s Elseworlds will be the categorical home of movies and TV shows using DC characters that are not a part of the primary continuity. The Elseworlds section of the new DCU will allow standalone franchises like Matt Reeves’The Batmanuniverse andTodd PhillipsJokerand its upcoming sequelJoker: Folie à Deu)to continue to experiment with DC characters without affecting the main continuity.
While it may feel like the project has been pushed into the corner by nestling under the Elseworlds label, this move actually provides a lot of potential for Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Superman movie. Coates has a completely blank canvas on which to create his story. Of course, it will be derived from existing DC characters, but the lack of connection with a meticulously planned DCU timeline means Coates can recreate and take his characters wherever he wants and needs them.
Audiences can only hope that the delays are not an attempt to keep this new Black-led Superman movie in development hell and allow it to lose momentum. After all, this certainly wouldn’t be the first timeDC made a big splashy announcement of a new film for it to never see the light of day. Let’s hope this Superman movie gets to find it’s day in the sun.
