If we get a Black Superman in the Coates/Abrams reboot, what would you prefer?

[Restingvoice]

Existing, because they're gonna make... a digital series tie-in for the movie or something... and I prefer it to be an expansion/reinterpretation of a character already existing than adding another one

I prefer Val-Zod because... what would Val-Zod's story be if he exists in the original Earth-2 instead of New 52? Or since the original Earth-2 Superman is Clark... what would his story look like in the 1940s?

[Fergus]

This is the exact opposite of what you’re saying you’re excited about. They’re completely uninterested in showcasing their library of existing diverse characters, which is why they’re racebending Superman over a John Stewart, Vixen, Icon, or Cyborg movie. It’s a cheap safe way to try to ride the current social wave without taking a major risk.

Edit: Just remembered they are pursuing a Jaime Blue Beetle movie so if that actually happens then kudos. But the graveyard is littered with DC projects that never happened (Deathstroke, Lobo, Nightwing, etc). But otherwise? WB/DC isn’t doing squat.

There's also the Static Movie.

Do we know for a fact that Clark Kent is being race bent? Showcasing a character like Val is showcasing their existing diverse characters.

Sure I'd like them to carry on building up the likes of John and Vixen who already have been introduced to casuals but that doesn't mean that putting the spotlight on someone like Val isn't a huge way to signify their commitment to investing in their diverse characters.

[Netherman14]

I'd prefer an existing black Superman, but it'd probably be a racebent Clark/Kal-El at the end of it all.

[bat39]

I’m bitter in part because Vixen, one of my favs at DC, is still not getting any real love or attention. I’ve been hoping that with the recent pivot to the DCAU nostalgia would include her given she was an important member (and it would add another woman to the League which is never a bad thing). She’s been given bit roles in stuff like Future State and small stories in the Truth & Justice anthology, and I’ve enjoyed all that, but she’s a character like Black Panther that I think could explode in popularity if she got a movie or a cartoon (CW Seed doesn’t count to me) or anything really.

I like Calvin. If he gets picked and the movie reviews well (forgive me for not trusting WB with Superman on the film side lmao), I’ll go see it. But I also can’t help but worry that this will lead to WB ignoring their OC Black characters which they already have a bad habit of doing. Especially since a lot of those (Vixen, Steel, and Mr. Terrific to name names) are favorites of mine. Right rant over, you guys go back to the thread topic.

Well, on the TV side DC has been doing pretty well with diverse characters IMO, especially in the Arrowverse. Vixen for instance got her own animated show and was featured heavily in Legends of Tomorrow (not exactly the comic-book version of the character, but still...) I dunno about Vixen getting her own movie, but I can see her making her way to the big screen in an ensemble movie. She's definitely among the handful of DC's black characters that casual fans would recognize, alongside Cyborg, John Stewart, Static Shock etc.

There's literally no benefit. A black Clark Kent will be seen as secondary to the commonly white interpretation regardless. Using one of the pre-existing black Supermen gives a chance to highlight more original stories and boost popularity of those characters.

True. Worse, he'll be the "black Superman".

I mean, Miles Morales started life as the "black Spider-Man" too but over time he's built a distinct brand of his own, second only to the Peter Parker Spider-Man - to the point where his being black or Latino is not the distinguishing feature of the character.

Calvin Ellis is a distinct interpretation of Superman with his own mythos. A race-bent Clark Kent is basically a black Superman - his only distinctive feature is that he's black.

I think a black Superman character should aspire to be Miles Morales...not Wallace West

[SiegePerilous02]

If forced to choose, a race bent Clark would be the easiest to embrace. I don't care for the idea of multiple Supermen in general. Yes, it's been touched on here and there in the comics, but I don't care.

Ideally we'd get a traditional Clark and much more attention paid to pre-existing black (and other POC) characters, but the DC cinematic brand is terribly inconsistent so we got what we got.

Yes, Miles Morales has gotten plenty of traction with Peter Parker around. That's already proven to not matter.

Yeah but that's a different company, and Marvel has proven they can handle these things better than DC/WB. Marvel always loves Peter Parker too, he's their flagship character and gets treated as such. Superman hasn't been treated as well by WB/DC for a while, at least not for the level of icon he is (most others get treated still far worse). One gets the sense they'd ditch him altogether if they could, you never get that impression from Marvel for any of their big name characters no matter how badly they screw up in some areas.

[Will Evans]

Curious.

Since DCEU Aquaman became Polynesian, have the comics integrating this background into his character? No
I don’t remember seeing an attempt to create a Polynesian dc superhero.

Same with a black Black Canary.

We’re getting a black Hawkman. Will comics Carter be reincarnated in a black body?

[sifighter]

I think it has to be a preexisting character, because just making Clark Kent a black man feels wrong in that it feels like it deprives people of a genuine Black Superman. Making Clark black feels in my opinion like just a stunt, that you did not actually put the work in to build up an actual character of color that people can enjoy and maybe look up to because all you did was put the same character in a new wrapper if that makes sense.

I feel like if you use Calvin or Val-zod, yes you will play with similar concepts but you get the chance to build an actual separate character who can stand on their own from Clark.

[Common Writer]

I'd prefer an ICON movie.

[Superboy-Prime]

Yeah but that's a different company, and Marvel has proven they can handle these things better than DC/WB. Marvel always loves Peter Parker too, he's their flagship character and gets treated as such. Superman hasn't been treated as well by WB/DC for a while, at least not for the level of icon he is (most others get treated still far worse). One gets the sense they'd ditch him altogether if they could, you never get that impression from Marvel for any of their big name characters no matter how badly they screw up in some areas.

Superman has Superman and Action Comics, he's treated better than any character other than Batman.

[MadFacedKid]

Eh... I disagree with their being benefits to racebending Clark Kent outside story material. But you’d probably divide a fan base of comic readers and people who have the nostalgia of a Superman their familiar with.

Hell if a Black Hawkman can cause uproar imagine what a Black Clark Kent would do. I’d rather use a pre-existing Superman whether it be Calvin, Val or even Tangent’s Harvey Dent.

When I was watching Gods and Monsters I didn’t backseat Hernan because I knew Kal-El was the main Superman in DC Comics. The movie being its own universe means we can primarily focus on whatever Superman they decide to push. A character like Calvin in the comics doesn’t even have to exist in the same universe as Clark given he has that whole Incarnate thing going on. Val being from a parallel Earth doesn’t either and same for Harvey Dent. Miles is only B to Peter’s A because they exist on the same Earth and Peter is the Spider-Man that will be in the forefront of most stuff.

[Celgress]

Pre-existing black Superman (Calvin Ellis, Val Zod, etc.) would be my ideal choice.

[Soubhagya]

Honestly speaking i don't know. I voted for racebent but i really want Calvin Ellis. In an ideal world, Cavill would have done Man of Steel 3 by now, and they would start expanding on Superman mythos. Hence Calvin Ellis.

Bringing Calvin for the 1st film of a reboot may mean goodbye Clark Kent. That i don't want to see happen ever. For that if Clark has to be black, i think i wouldn't mind that much. After all since he's from another planet, its not necessary that he should be white. It feels odd thinking about it, but once it starts in the movie itself, it won't feel unnatural. After a while anyway. Joker wearing face paint instead of having bleached skin, should have felt unnatural. But as soon as Heath Ledger appeared, he was Joker himself. Fullstop.

What feels bad is that unless there is something worthy to tell or do, its just a gimmick. It would generate some controversy. If the film turns out to be genuinely good, 1 billion should be guaranteed. People would talk about it. Just like Joker.

Why my boy Kal has to break a billion each time is beyond my comprehension. Man of Steel made more then Iron Man and Iron Man 2. However popular Tony Stark became, it was after Avengers only his solo film made a billion. Now Black Panther was huge. Time to cash in on Superman by some gimmick.


I hear that Tehisi's writings have a political bent. If he could channel Morrison's run i would be happy. For such stuff honestly, Calvin is better. Dude is president. Or he becomes one. Its not necessary that Calvin would start as president. Is it too much to ask for a Superverse thing? Cavill teaming up with Calvin. And Brandon Routh shows up as well. Or that thing can happen with Batman only.

[bat39]

Curious.

Since DCEU Aquaman became Polynesian, have the comics integrating this background into his character? No
I doesn’t remember seeing an attempt to create a Polynesian dc superhero.

Same with a black Black Canary.

We’re getting a black Hawkman. Will comics Carter be reincarnated in a black body?

For all the talk about Momoa being of a different ethnicity from the comic-book Aquaman, visually he looks very similar to a certain comic-book incarnation of the character - namely the long-bearded 90's version (that fans of the DCAU would also recognize). No one even made a big deal about 'race-bending' Aquaman.

Black Black Canary (see what I did there )...well, frankly Black Canary, while a pretty major and iconic DC character, really isn't that big a brand that race-bending her is going to make national headlines. She's also mixed-race and kinda looked visually similar to the comic-book Black Canary (honestly, her curlier hair looked more 'off-brand' than her skin tone). Race-bending Black Canary is frankly on par with race-bending Perry White or Jim Gordon (frankly, as much as I look forward to seeing Jeffrey Wright as Gordon, it is a bit distracting how different he looks from how I usually picture the character), if even that.

Ditto with Hawkman...honestly, with this character's background, race-bending may actually be faithful to the character!

But Superman...turning Superman into a black man, unfortunately, isn't simply a creative decision or a case of color-blind casting. Its a massive social and political statement. Its a cultural moment. Its something that will spark national and international debate...not all of it civil. You'll have conservatives up in arms against it. Progressives and liberals hailing it as a 'victory' but also taking ownership of the project and intensely scrutinizing it to make sure its done "the right way". Scores of op-eds and features across the media landscape. Backlash and counter-backlash and another front opening on the culture war.

Frankly, short of race-bending a historical character, race-bending Superman is the most controversial thing you can do (well, I suppose there's race-bending James Bond).

[manwhohaseverything]

They should just create a superman of every colour.Have them play SuuuperHopscotch live action.I bet that will stop debates.Rainbow superman on the playing field.Batman would be proud.

[Username taken]

Calvin Ellis.

A Superman as the President of the United States is a very, very interesting concept regardless of their race.