Ta-Nehisi Coates' Superman movie is still in development – and James Gunn wants Ben Affleck to direct a movie for DC

Ben Affleck in Zack Snyder's Justice League — (Image credit: Warner Bros./DC)

Ta-Nehisi Coates' Superman movie is reportedly still in development, despite news that James Gunn is writing a new Superman movie that will not star Henry Cavill. Gunn has also confirmed that he would like Ben Affleck to return to DC to direct a film; the actor previously played Batman.

Per Variety's sources, Gunn's film won't be replacing Coates' film, which is said to be in active development. J.J. Abrams is set to produce the movie, which will star a Black Superman – though, at the moment, it's unclear if this will be the Clark Kent version of the character or another incarnation.

Gunn confirmed on Twitter that Cavill would not be returning as Superman, despite the actor announcing on Instagram that he was officially back following his Black Adam post-credits appearance. "Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman's life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill," Gunn wrote, while discussing his upcoming slate of DC movies. But, Variety add that Cavill, Gunn, and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran are "energized" to find another role for Cavill in the universe.

As for Affleck, Gunn revealed that he had met with the actor to discuss directing a DC project. "Met with Ben yesterday precisely because he wants to direct & we want him to direct; we just have to find the right project," Gunn wrote. Affleck will appear as Batman again in the upcoming The Flash and also has an appearance in the Aquaman 2 post-credits scene, but, beyond that, it seems his time as the character is done.

"Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn't be more over-the-moon about; we'll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year," Gunn announced of the new DCU. Just what those projects are remains a mystery for now.

Next up on the DC release slate is Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which hits theaters March 17, 2023. In the meantime, check out our guide to watching all the DC movies in order to get caught up on the universe so far.

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.