Henry Cavill Weighs In On Rumored Black Superman Movie And TV Series
John F. Trent
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Actor Henry Cavill, who played Superman in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League, recently reacted to the rumored black Superman movie and TV series.
ENOLA HOLMES (L to R) HENRY CAVILL as SHERLOCK HOLMES, MILLIE BOBBY BROWN as ENOLA HOLMES, SAM CLAFLIN as MYCROFT HOLMES. Cr. ROBERT VIGLASKI /LEGENDARY ©2020
Back in February, it was reported that WarnerMedia and DC Films hired radical left-wing activist Ta-Nehisi Coates to write a new Superman story being produced by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot label.
Coates confirmed the reporting telling Shadow and Act, “To be invited into the DC Extended Universe by Warner Bros., DC Films and Bad Robot is an honor. I look forward to meaningfully adding to the legacy of America’s most iconic mythic hero.”
Source: Batman v Superman (2016), Warner Bros.
Abrams added, “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.”
While Warner Bros. Pictures Chairman Toby Emmerich stated, “Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me opened a window and changed the way many of us see the world. We’re confident that his take on Superman will give fans a new and exciting way to see the Man of Steel.”
Source: Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), Warner Bros. Pictures
Related: Rumor: WarnerMedia And DC Want Black Director And Black Actor For Superman Movie
Following this announcement, The Hollywood Reporter (THR) in May claimed that WarnerMedia and DC were looking for both a black director and a black actor for this new Superman film.
THR’s Tatiana Siegel and Borys Kit wrote, “Insiders say Warners and DC are committed to hiring a Black director to tackle what will be the first cinematic incarnation of Superman featuring a Black actor.”
Source: Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), Warner Bros.
On top of the Abrams produced and Coates written Superman, there was also a rumor from Collider in July that Black Panther actor Michael B. Jordan was looking to create a black Superman limited series for HBO Max featuring the Superman of Earth-2, Val-Zod.
Collider’s Jeff Sneider claimed, “Michael B. Jordan and his production company Outlier Society are developing their own Black Superman project for HBO Max that centers on the Val-Zod incarnation of the character, Collider has exclusively learned.”
Source: Earth 2 #25 “The Kryptonian, Part 5” (2014), DC Comics. Interior art by Nikola Scott, Trevor Scott, and Pete Pantazis
Henry Cavill has recently given his opinion on the idea of a black Superman in a recent sit down interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
The Witcher star stated, “It’s exciting — Superman’s far more than skin color. Superman is an ideal. Superman’s an extraordinary thing that lives within our hearts.”
He continued, “Why not have multiple Supermen going on? Joaquin Phoenix did a wonderful Joker movie; so what if it’s not tied to the rest of [the franchise]? They have multiple Superman comic book storylines happening at the same time.”
Source: Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), HBO Max
Not only did Cavill provide his opinion on a black Superman, but he also talked about the possibility for a sequel to Man of Steel, noting it could revolve around Superman’s reaction to the killing of Zod in the first film.
He explained, “There is still a lot of storytelling for me to do as a Superman, and I would absolutely love the opportunity.”
“The killing of Zod gave a reason for the character never to kill again. Superman falling to the ground and screaming afterward — I don’t think that was originally in the script, but I wanted to show the pain he had. I did far more emotional takes they didn’t choose; tears were happening,” stated Cavill.
He elaborated, “He just killed the last remaining member of his species. That’s the choice he made in that moment, and he’ll never do that again. There’s an opportunity for growth after that, to explore the psyche of Superman as a deep, seemingly invulnerable god-like being but with real feeling on the inside. As I always say, ‘The cape is still in the closet.'”
Source: Man of Steel via Flashback FM YouTube
Related: Zack Snyder Weighs In On The Idea Of A Black Superman From JJ Abrams And Ta-Nehisi Coates
Man of Steel director Zack Snyder previously gave his thoughts on the matter telling Radio Times, “My feeling is that I love JJ [Abrams], I love what he’s done in the past. I’m interested to see what happens, it’s a bold and cool and probably long overdue move.”
However he also stated, “But I love Henry [Cavill] as Superman, of course I do. He’s my superman.”
Snyder added, “I’m not really involved in any of the decision-making at Warner Brothers in any way, so I guess for me it’s just wait and see what they do with this and how it manifests itself. But on the surface, it seems interesting.”
Source: Earth 2 #25
What do you make of Cavill’s comments? What are your thoughts on a black Superman?