DC Comics' Man of Steel is being reimagined for the silver screen once again. Award-winning author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates will write a new Superman movie for Waner Bros., with J. J. Abrams and his production company Bad Robot attached to produce the film.
In an official statement to Shadow and Act, Coates said, "I look forward to meaningfully adding to the legacy of America's most iconic mythic hero." Coates is an extremely accomplished award-winning novelist and essayist, whose work has been published in outlets such as The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Village Voice, TIME, and more. He is known for writing extensively about social and political issues, mostly related to African-Americans and white supremacy. He has written several highly acclaimed non-fiction books including The Beautiful Struggle, We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy, and Between the World and Me, which won the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction.
Coates has also had some recent success writing for Marvel Comics, tackling runs on characters Black Panther and Captain America. In fact, Coates' acclaimed Black Panther comic book run is even credited by previous Disney CEO Bob Iger with helping to greenlight the award-winning Black Panther film from Marvel Studios. Furthermore, Coates received special thanks in the credits for the Black Panther film, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
At the moment there are few details regarding the reboot apart from select quotes from Coates and Abrams, but The Hollywood Reporter sources claim the project is aiming to tell a Black Superman story. In 2019, there had been reports saying Michael B. Jordan had once proposed a similar take on Superman to Warner Bros., though such a project never materialized. THR notes that it is possible the studio may return to Jordan for Coates' Superman film, which does not have a director attached at this point. Actor Henry Cavill has been the most recent actor to tackle the character on the big screen, notably in Zack Snyder's DCEU films Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Snyder's upcoming re-release of Justice League. Snyder has received some criticism over the years for his "dark and gritty" portrayal of Superman, who many believe should be a symbol of hope and optimism.
Superman has been rebooted on many different occasions throughout the years in both film and television. His first live-action debut was in the 1948 black-and-white serial, where he was portrayed by actor Kirk Alyn. One of the most memorable on-screen versions of the Kryptonian superhero was in the 1978 film adaptation starring Christopher Reeve, whose portrayal is widely regarded as one the best live-action depictions of the character. The role later went to actor Brandon Routh, who portrayed the hero in the 2006 reboot Superman Returns. Routh reprised his role in the CW's Crisis on Infinite Earths television crossover event.
There have also been many abandoned Superman films over the years, including a Tim Burton-directed adaptation written by Kevin Smith and starring Nicolas Cage as the Man of Steel. The most recent actor to dawn the red cape in a live-action role is Tyler Hoechlin, who plays Clark Kent/Superman on the CW series Superman & Lois. The series premiere received high praise for Hoechlin's positive and kind-hearted portrayal of the character.
The Superman reboot is being developed for Warner Bros.
Source: Shadow and Act, The Hollywood Reporter