DC's handling of Superman as of late hasn't been the best, to say the least. After the critical failure of 2017's Justice League, Henry Cavil's version of the Man of Steel was all but put on ice. Even the character's awkward cameo in Shazam! didn't include Cavil's face––opting only for a body double.
It's clear that Warner Bros. had no idea how to recover with the character and was still trying to find its footing. The character never got any spotlight until Zack Snyder's Justice League came around—where fans finally got to see his black suit in action.
However, Henry Cavil's future as Superman remains in question, with no signs of any concrete answers. Instead, Warner Bros. seems to be going full steam ahead with a brand-new incarnation of the character, one that even be a period piece...
SUPERMAN GOES BACK A CENTURY?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ta-Nehisi Coates' upcoming Superman project for Warner Bros. may end up being a 20th century period piece.
While the story is still being crafted, THR's sources seem sure of one thing: this iteration of Kal-El will be in the vein of the original Superman comics and will have the protagonist hail from Krypton and come to Earth.
THR insiders also claim that Warner Bros. and DC are committed to hiring a Black director to tackle this first cinematic take on a Superman being brought to life by a black actor. Their sources especially noted that putting J.J. Abrams–one of the big potential options–would be "tone-deaf."
TIME FOR A NEW MAN OF STEEL
It's not all too surprising to learn that this new incarnation of Superman will keep the tradition of the Krypton origin story alive and well—in fact, it would be a strange change to make. The film will almost certainly garner plenty of heated discussions amongst fans online, so additional big changes like that would only add fuel to the fire.
That said, it is already shaping up to be a completely new and unique take on the character. So, maybe it's best that Warner Bros. make all the changes they want—giving fans a completely new take on the character.
One of the more notable parts of the article is the fact that this new Superman could be a period piece, something that is rarely seen amongst superhero films—particularly when it is a huge change for the character being adapted. It's an exciting prospect to see, though, as something like that would elevate the studio's intentions of embracing and embodying the feel of Superman's classic comics.
Fans still have to wait for a bit for this film to become reality, as it is still several years from release. Though, the big question is, how will this movie relate to any of the other DC projects, if at all?
