‘Superman’ Reboot Being Produced By JJ Abrams With Ta-Nehisi Coates Writing

[stargazer01]

You are comparing apples to oranges.

Ta-Nehisi Coates is a former national correspondent for The Atlantic. In other words, he's a real-life Clark Kent. Research is his superpower. For all of the Superman stories that he may not have read in his youth, I think he'll make up for it.

Nah, he needs to find Superman awesome, interesting for who he is and his mythos. He should read All Star Superman, Accion Comics #1 and watch Donner Superman and the Fleischer cartoons. If that doesn't hit him, nothing will.

[SiegePerilous02]

Writers expressing disinterest in a character at one point can change their mind later on and produce great results. I think Grant Morrison said they weren't that interested in Superman or didn't "get him" back in the 90s, and then went on to write some of the best Superman stories ever. Chiefly All-Star but also Action Comics. They are pretty much the only writer who has expressed preference for Batman but still writes an awesome Superman.

Coates also said he likes the DCAU, including STAS. Which personally doesn't fill me with much more hope because the DCAU take on Superman isn't the greatest for me, but it's definitely something other than "dislikes the character."

Frank Miller really was toxic for DC. He wrote a deconstruction of the Batman character with TDKR and since 1986 creators in shows movies and comics feel like writing a deconstruction of other characters like Superman/Batman etc. instead of going back to what made them popular in the first place. Christopher Nolan same thing. Look at Superman 1978 for inspiration. Bryan Singer even tried to get it right with Superman Returns by using Superman and Superman II as a base. Enough deconstructing. Just keep the essence of the characters please.

I think we need to move on from Christopher Reeve as much as we need to move on from deconstructive takes. The reverence for that take is partially why the character is seen as corny and outdated. It was good for its time, but there is material both before and after that should be drawn from instead to mix and match. The Golden Age comics, the Fleischer cartoons, All-Star, Maggin's characterization, New 52 Action, etc.

[Triniking1234]

Superman is huge cultural figure do you think he never saw Superman movie and TV shows?

What kind of counter is that? Just because he knows it exists doesn't mean he likes it.

[stargazer01]

Writers expressing disinterest in a character at one point can change their mind later on and produce great results. I think Grant Morrison said they weren't that interested in Superman or didn't "get him" back in the 90s, and then went on to write some of the best Superman stories ever. Chiefly All-Star but also Action Comics. They are pretty much the only writer who has expressed preference for Batman but still writes an awesome Superman.

Coates also said he likes the DCAU, including STAS. Which personally doesn't fill me with much more hope because the DCAU take on Superman isn't the greatest for me, but it's definitely something other than "dislikes the character."




I think we need to move on from Christopher Reeve as much as we need to move on from deconstructive takes. The reverence for that take is partially why the character is seen as corny and outdated. It was good for its time, but there is material both before and after that should be drawn from instead to mix and match. The Golden Age comics, the Fleischer cartoons, All-Star, Maggin's characterization, New 52 Action, etc.

All Star shows a bumbling Clark like Reeve. I think the best takes are those that use the aspects of the characters that most fans and audiences like. Like it or not, Reeve is still the iconic Superman on film. People like his confidence in the first movie and that he was a friend. And other fans like Cavill for the realism, the drama and how his powers look.

I think the key to a great Superman movie is borrowing from all that has worked with most fans. Ignoring Donner altogether is not the key to pleasing most people. The Superman and Lois show is borrowing from all Superman media and most people are enjoying it. You won't please everyone at this point, but you can please most.

Also, new Superman villains like Braniac need to show up to challenge him. Show new stuff audiences haven't seen. Take him to space, to new places. Wow the audiences while keeping Superman in character and making us care about his journey.

[Lord Morph]

I read somewhere that this writer said he doesn't like Superman...

bad bad sign. I have no desire to watch black Superman. I would if he was set up in a traditional Superman multiverse story. But an standalone? Meh. Minus zero interest. I'm sure it will be a totally political, woke Superman story. Sounds super boring.

A political Superman story? I mean we never seen those have we?

[SiegePerilous02]

A good politicaly charged Superman story could be a good thing, as long as it is also action heavy and exciting.

Would Coates be able to deliver all of that in a package?

All Star shows a bumbling Clark like Reeve. I think the best takes are those that use the aspects of the characters that most fans and audiences like. Like it or not, Reeve is still the iconic Superman on film. People like his confidence in the first movie and that he was a friend. And other fans like Cavill for the realism, the drama and how his powers look.

I think the key to a great Superman movie is borrowing from all that has worked with most fans. Ignoring Donner altogether is not the key to pleasing most people. The Superman and Lois show is borrowing from all Superman media and most people are enjoying it. You won't please everyone at this point, but you can please most.

Also, new Superman villains like Braniac need to show up to challenge him. Show new stuff audiences haven't seen. Take him to space, to new places. Wow the audiences while keeping Superman in character and making us care about his journey.

All-Star at least had the implication that Clark had his Superboy career and didn't become a superhero due to training with Ghost Dad for 12 years, plus all the other crazy Silver Age-ish stuff that they didn't have the budget to pull off. And aside from doing the Phantom Zoners over and over again, none of it has really made it into a big film.

I also think the over dependence on guidance from parents (especially Jor-El and the Kents living after he leaves Smallville) greatly need to be downplayed.

[stargazer01]

A political Superman story? I mean we never seen those have we?

a black Superman, no we haven't. Not in mainstream.

[Killerbee911]

What kind of counter is that? Just because he knows it exists doesn't mean he likes it.

He doesn't have to like it, He has to understand it and why it works. And seeing the superman movies and couple of shows is enough to get why superman works.

I mean Coates isn't going to think Superman is guy who snap necks or would let his dad die to protect his identity. I think he is already ahead of what we have know.

[SiegePerilous02]

He doesn't have to like it, He has to understand it and why it works. And seeing the superman movies and couple of shows is enough to get why superman works.

I mean Coates isn't going to think Superman is guy who snap necks or would let his dad die to protect his identity. I think he is already ahead of what we have know.

Depends on which ones he's viewing.

I'm kind of concerned if JLU is going to be a point of inspiration, because that doesn't show why Superman works. He's kind of a dumb meathead in there.

[Midvillian1322]

To be fair the white showrunners removed Anansi because Orlando jones who had written the dialogue for the character had gotten "to militant" including the slave ship scene...

That's what Orlando claims, they claim they didn't pick up his option because his character wasn't part of the books they are focusing on in season 3 to be fair. Alot of actors didn't get picked up for season 3. Side note the actor who plays Shadow Moon would be the perfect Bishop in a Xmen film.

[Frontier]

A good politicaly charged Superman story could be a good thing, as long as it is also action heavy and exciting.

Would Coates be able to deliver all of that in a package?

I feel like that's what Abrams is for (even though he's not directing).

[Common Writer]

Also, new Superman villains like Braniac need to show up to challenge him. Show new stuff audiences haven't seen. Take him to space, to new places. Wow the audiences while keeping Superman in character and making us care about his journey.

hmm, yea like a Black Superman... of Earth-23.

[SiegePerilous02]

I feel like that's what Abrams is for (even though he's not directing).

I guess we can hope for different results from TROS if Abrams isn't directing, but this isn't a combo that is building confidence.

[Vakanai]

Most important was just an example but being important and in meaningful part of the story that is a big thing. It needs to be point out because that is a big part of the issue, War Machine and Falcon were well done, Monica in Wandavision is well done, Nick Fury in Avengers movies was well done. Being well done can still leave you as side character not getting meaningful story. Yes that needs to be stressed as point because someone will point to Cyborg or Falcon in movies say "Hey look you were represented in a movie" or why are you complaining you have Nick Fury, Black Panther, war machine, falcon, Okoye, shuri, Wong, Valkyrie are in the movies. And problem isn't that there no representation they have done a good job of filling side characters and bit pieces in stories the problem is at top of the food chain.

That's what solo films are for - they can make a Vixen movie, a Black Lightning movie, a movie about any black character. Heck, Static is getting a movie. MCU did Black Panther. That's better than race bending.

I talk about characters failing because that is the excuse not use them in movies and that is excuse that will be used after the failure in the movie realm. If Cyborg fails it would be because he wasn't that popular, If John Stewart fails it would be because they should have use Hal Jordan. And I am bring this stuff up because that is what people say when you mention a character should get a film.

Eh, it's what comic book fans on forums bring up - if that were true everywhere Supergirl, Black Lightning, and Batwoman wouldn't have gotten shows.

Anyways maybe after this MCU run stuff will get look at differently Blade, Ms. Marvel, War Machine, Riri Williams, Falcon, Shang Chi, Nick Fury along with Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Wandavision and Black Widow. And you should praise Marvel for that least but conventional wisdom is never replace your big characters and fans/Marvel itself seem to push that and DC pushing a black Superman is from that type of thinking. Hopefully after next five years we aren't still having this convo.

Five years is five years - now is the time they're considering racebending Superman instead of pushing an actual POC character.

[Vakanai]

If WB really understood why Black Panther was so huge, they would easily capitalize on the Milestone characters, as opposed to (presumably) "race swap" Superman. Static, Icon/Rocket and Hardware could all be HUGE with the black community and set them apart from Marvel's comic universe. Unfortunately, they clearly do not understand why BP made over $1 billion, so here we are.

Luckily we are getting a Static movie (albeit it sounds like it might be straight to streaming on HBO Max - and not because covid), but I do agree, I'd prefer an Icon movie over a black Superman movie. Maybe save Rocket for the end or after credits scene to set up the sequel. Icon, Icon and Rocket being the first two movies. Yeah.