While Warner Bros. Discovery continues retooling its superhero movie slate with the extended DC Universe, one name that remains at the forefront of fans' minds is Superman. Much of this stems from Henry Cavill's lengthy absence from the big screen as the Man of Steel, although rumors have hinted that Superman might be in for a resurgence in more than one form.
A recent report revealed that WBD has plans for a movie that's described as "essentially...Man of Steel 2," finally bringing Cavill back as the iconic DC hero more than half a decade after his last canon DCEU appearance in Justice League. But to fans' shock, this is already the third different Superman-centric project in development from Warner Bros., as the company keeps trying to keep Superman relevant on the big screen.
Now, a new official report has confirmed that one of those new entries is still fully in development even after the news regarding Cavill's unexpected return went public.
Black Superman Movie Still Moving Forward
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black Superman movie is still slated to go into production for Warner Bros. Discovery, even after reports noted that the company is moving forward with a sequel to 2013's Man of Steel.
The report shared that J.J. Abrams is still attached to produce the movie, even though no timeframe for production was shared:
"It is unclear where the Superman moves leave Abrams, who is still on track to produce Coates’ movie centered on the last son of Krypton."
Should this news prove true, it would go against the "10-year plan" that WBD CEO David Zaslav described in August 2022, which was said to mirror Disney's process with Marvel Studios through the Infinity Saga and the Multiverse Saga.
What Is DC's Real Plan With Superman?
On its base level, having a Black Superman movie in development should be a positive sign for Warner Bros. as the company looks to bring a new kind of Superman into the equation other than Clark Kent. This comes on top of Sasha Calle's debut as Supergirl in 2023's The Flash, although it's still unclear how big her role in that Multiversal adventure will be.
But looking at the bigger picture, bringing more than one Superman movie into the equation seemingly goes against the company's plan to have a streamlined story with one continuity. And this isn't the only instance that proves Warner Bros. isn't sticking to that plan.
The company already has at least two separate Jokers set for appearances over the coming years, with Joaquin Phoenix's Joker getting its own 2024 sequel and Barry Keoghan being introduced as the Clown Prince of Crime earlier this year in The Batman. Even though the Joker is more of a supporting character, having a villain as popular as him portrayed in two separate universes shows the team behind the DC Universe is willing to do that elsewhere too.
For the time being, there is no timeframe on when any version of Superman will be utilized in a leading role in the larger DC Universe, even though rumors point to him playing a role in the post-credits scene of this week's Black Adam. But with Warner Bros.'s entire strategy still clearly up in the air, fans will just have to wait and see what becomes of this Black Superman movie or any iteration of the character.
