New Superman movie will reportedly star a Black lead

(Image credit: Warner Bros./DC)

The new Superman movie is reportedly planning on a Black actor for the titular role.

When news broke that a new Superman film was in the works from Warner Bros., J.J. Abrams, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, it was unclear whether Henry Cavill would remain in the red cape or not. Thanks to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, it now seems clear that Cavill won't be the leading man in the next film, as the outlet "has confirmed that this new Superman project is aiming to star a Black Superman."

As THR make clear, it's uncertain whether this will be Clark Kent, or another main character like Val-Zod or Calvin Ellis. Val-Zod is a friend of Kara Zor-El, better known as Supergirl in the main continuity – who has just been confirmed to appear in The Flash. Meanwhile, Calvin Ellis is both Superman and President of the United States in his universe. Both Val-Zod and Calvin Ellis exist in alternate universes to the main DC Earth.

At the moment, though, nothing much is known about the new project. In a statement to Shadow and Act, Coates said: "I look forward to meaningfully adding to the legacy of America's most iconic mythic hero." Echoing this sentiment, Abrams commented: "There is a new, powerful and moving Superman story yet to be told. We couldn't be more thrilled to be working with the brilliant Mr. Coates to help bring that story to the big screen, and we're beyond thankful to the team at Warner Bros. for the opportunity." From this, we can expect something unique when the project eventually arrives to theaters.

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.