UPDATED: Warner Bros. Allegedly Considering Michael B. Jordan For SUPERMAN
This morning, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Henry Cavill was parting ways with Warner Bros.' DCU*, a development which seemed all but inevitable given the ongoing shenanigans behind the scenes on that franchise. THR's report suggested it'd be some time before we saw another Superman movie, with WB choosing to focus its efforts on a Supergirl solo film before returning its attention to the big, blue boyscout. It'll happen, we were told, but it'll happen somewhere up the road.
Naturally, all of this led to an immediate outpouring of speculation: what did this mean for Wonder Woman 1984 and Aquaman's place within the DCU? What does it mean for the future of the DCU in general? And, most importantly, who might follow in Henry Cavill's red-booted footsteps?
Deadline seems to have an idea:
"The word has been out that Warner Bros. has been mulling a completely different direction with its Superman canon for some time, even considering casting Michael B. Jordan in the role down the road."
Deadline goes on to reiterate what THR said, that Warner Bros. is currently focused on launching a Supergirl movie, which means that the next onscreen appearance from Superman is (at best) a few years away. With a timeline like that, it goes without saying that nothing is set in stone, that anything could happen in between now and when that next Superman movie starts shooting...up to and including who WB might choose to headline the picture.
But still: it's fascinating to learn that Jordan's even being considered for the role, right? Casting an actor of color in a role that iconic would be nothing short of revolutionary, a huge step forward for representation and inclusivity in Hollywood (it'd also be flat-out great casting). There would, of course, be no small amount of fanboy whining to consider, but since when has listening to folks on the wrong side of history gotten us anywhere?
Again, the above must be taken as unconfirmed rumor for the time being, but that doesn't mean we can't talk about it as a concept. Please do so now in the comments below, and do remember to be chill with one another about it.
* = UPDATE: Following the publication of THR's story on Cavill parting ways with the DCU, WB issued the following statement: "While no decisions have been made regarding any upcoming Superman films, we’ve always had great respect for and a great relationship with Henry Cavill, and that remains unchanged."
