Warner Bros. & Ta-Nehisi Coates' 'Superman' to Star a Black Man, Black Director

The Hollywood Reporter sources say Warner Bros. is committed to booking a Black Superman for the film.

In late 2019, Variety reports revealed that Warner Bros. and Michael B. Jordan held meetings to discuss the future of the Superman franchise. Rumors swirled that Jordan would become the first Black Superman, but he quickly shut those down. "It's definitely a compliment," he said at the time, "but I'm just watching on this one." On Wednesday, sources at The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the studio is still committed to finding a Black Superman and a Black director for the next film in the series, which will be written by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

The search will be an intense one, pitting DC versus Marvel yet again. "As [Warner] looks to fill its Superman vacancy," wrote Tatiana Siegel and Borys Kit, "Marvel is on the hunt for a Blade helmer and is combing through the same list. But the question will come down to what kind of filmmaker Bad Robot and Warners want: an up-and-comer who can be backed by Abrams, who knows his way around tentpoles and franchises? Or an established filmmaker like a Barry Jenkins or a Ryan Coogler?"

The film will reportedly be a standalone film, not connected to the larger DC Cinematic Universe.

With the ambitious goals in mind, the new project is in the very early stages. According to THR, Coates likely won't submit the official script until mid-December. In the process of the report, the outlet also revealed that the Blade remake's start date has been pushed from this September to July 2022.

Stay tuned for further updates on the future Man of Steel and Ta-Nehisi Coates' Superman.