Michael B. Jordan Developing His Own Black Superman Project for HBO Max

[Kara Danvers]

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.

Sources say that Outlier Society has hired a writer who is currently working on the script, though we were unable to ascertain their identity. Though it was initially unclear whether the Val-Zod project would be a movie or a limited series, sources have since reached out to clarify that as of right now, it is, in fact, being written as a limited series that Jordan will produce and possibly even star in, though he has yet to officially commit on the latter front.

As previously reported, J.J. Abrams and his company Bad Robot are set to produce a Black Superman movie for Warner Bros. that is expected to follow the Kal-El/Clark Kent version of the character. Though Clark Kent is traditionally depicted as white in the DC comics, the character will be played by a Black actor in the Bad Robot movie, which will likely be directed by a Black filmmaker, as Abrams is simply expected to produce. Author and cultural critic Ta-Nehisi Coates is already hard at work on the script for that project.

https://collider.com/michael-b-jorda...l-zod-hbo-max/

[Black Superman]

I must be dreaming: 2 Black Superman projects and one is my fave Val-Zod? DC, I love you!

[kryptonian]

We just need coates to not be a black Clark and just be Calvin Ellis and this will be an amazing time to be a Superman fan

[Rac7d*]

We just need coates to not be a black Clark and just be Calvin Ellis and this will be an amazing time to be a Superman fan

This
I am against black clark kent
not black superman

[Celgress]

This
I am against black clark kent
not black superman

I know a lot of people, dare I say a majority, feel the same way (I do).

[StarSpangledMan]

Guys help me out here... Calvin Ellis is black Kal-El isn't he? The only difference between he and Clark is where their ship landed.

[Ascended]

If anyone is going to make me care about Val, it's Michael B. Jordan. He's one of the most charismatic actors working today and I'm more excited for this currently than I am the other project.

Can you imagine if we were getting Clark on TV, Calvin with Abrams/Coates and Val with Michael B. Jordan?

Alas, we can't have all the nice things.

This. I'd be so gods damned thrilled if this were Calvin and not Val. But if anyone can entice me to change my mind it's probably MBJ.

Still, of all the versions of Superman out there, for Calvin to be *not* be getting a treatment somewhere? That hurts, bro.

This
I am against black clark kent
not black superman

And also this.

A race bent Clark Kent isn't the end of the world or anything, not like I'd boycott the film (I'll do that because I have no faith in WB), but it just stinks of pandering to me. They either change Clark's life experience to reflect the bending and it largely stops being Clark Kent, or they change nothing and it's basically just blackface.

When WB is lazy enough to just racebend Clark instead of investing in their actual, fantastic PoC roster, I feel like they're telling me they don't think John Stewart, Steel, Cyborg, Vixen, Black Lightning, Icon, Hardware, Static, and a ton of other characters aren't worth the effort. I take issue with that.

[Sacred Knight]

Honestly Jordan was born to play a superhero character, he's got action hero written all over him, and he's got the acting skills. I'm a big fan of his. I like Calvin better than Val-Zod too, but at the same time I feel this work has far more potential than the Abrams/Coates one, even if that one is Calvin and not race-bent Clark (I still consider that a possibility till they name him by something that definitively states the character).

[Besouro]

This
I am against black clark kent
not black superman

More interested in seeing this than the Coates version. Hope it's good.

Agreed and co-signed.... Same here.

[Kara Danvers]

Superman & Lois
New Superman animated series
Superman feature film
Grant Morrison writing a Superman comic with Mikel Janin on art
AAA Superman video game
Val Zod HBO Max series

Has there ever been a better time to be a Superman fan? We're living through the Superman renaissance.

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

I know we're already getting a lot of Justice Society stuff but I wonder if they'll feature here? Always wondered if we'll ever see them attempt Powergirl in live action. Plus I hear Jeffery Dean Morgan still wants to play Thomas Batman.

[achilles]

I know we're already getting a lot of Justice Society stuff but I wonder if they'll feature here? Always wondered if we'll ever see them attempt Powergirl in live action. Plus I hear Jeffery Dean Morgan still wants to play Thomas Batman.

They can do what they want with Val Zod as far as I'm concerned, so long as they leave Power Girl way the hell out of it. I want her first live action appearance if she ever has one, to be as arm candy for a vastly inferior character. Not that the Nu52 PG was a prize either, but classic PG deserves better.

[kryptonian]

They can do what they want with Val Zod as far as I'm concerned, so long as they leave Power Girl way the hell out of it. I want her first live action appearance if she ever has one, to be as arm candy for a vastly inferior character. Not that the Nu52 PG was a prize either, but classic PG deserves better.

Replace power girl with Nubia’s Wonder Woman, replace Helena’s huntress with Mera’s Aquawoman(played by Emilia Clarke), and Batman with Helena Wayne’s batwoman


Perfect lineup right there

[Robanker]

They can do what they want with Val Zod as far as I'm concerned, so long as they leave Power Girl way the hell out of it. I want her first live action appearance if she ever has one, to be as arm candy for a vastly inferior character. Not that the Nu52 PG was a prize either, but classic PG deserves better.

While I especially don't want Power Girl's cinematic debut to be someone's arm candy, I don't want that for any superhero. Seriously. Do not introduce a female character who has her own thing going on never seen before as a Superman's girlfriend. It's just awful.

The New 52 is one of the worst things to ever happen to PG. It relegated her to arm candy twice. TWICE.

[DochaDocha]

Superman & Lois
New Superman animated series
Superman feature film
Grant Morrison writing a Superman comic with Mikel Janin on art
AAA Superman video game
Val Zod HBO Max series

Has there ever been a better time to be a Superman fan? We're living through the Superman renaissance.

I think I was probably more excited in years passed. Most of those things listed aren't even out yet, so we don't know if they'll 1) make it out the door or 2) be any good. Points for multimedia, though.