With the reports that Henry Cavill is stepping down, it has actually been said that Warner Bros. is eyeing Michael B. Jordan to play the new Superman.
Earlier this morning saw it reported that talks broke down between Henry Cavill and Warner Bros. over getting Cavill a cameo role in Shazam!, which led to the door closing on further appearances as Superman.
In Deadline‘s report on the topic, they state they heard Warner Bros. has been considering a “completely different direction with its Superman canon for some time,” and that they are even considering using Michael B. Jordan as the new Superman down the road.
The article doesn’t go into any more specifics other than noting that at the present the studio is focusing on their Supergirl movie, which was first announced back in August. According to a separate report, the Supergirl movie will focus on when she was a teenager, which may mean an actor of Henry Cavill’s age would be out as Superman.
Michael B. Jordan
Getting back to Michael B. Jordan as Superman, who recently starred in Marvel’s Black Panther, it’s possible it could be a separate movie and not a part of the DCEU, as obviously Superman would be black. WB is actually developing standalone movies with some their DC characters, not a part of regular continuty, such as the Joaquin Phoenix Joker flick, so that could be a direction WB could always go with Jordan. Even if Henry Cavill does end up re-signing, as it’s said he is not done just yet, WB could always go with two Superman actors on the big screen, again, much like they currently have with two Jokers (with Jared Leto being the other version).
In DC Comics lore, there is a Black Superman with Kalel of Earth 23 who first appeared in Final Crisis #7 and is the President of the United States in that universe. In the story, the young Kalel is found by the poor Ellis family who name him Calvin and raised him to stand up for himself no matter the odds, and to fight for what’s right. As Calvin’s powers emerge, he becomes Superman, the champion of the oppressed and defender of peace around the world. While serving as President, which is something bigger than even Superman, he is served by his long-suffering assistant Courtney and the reprogrammed alien intelligence Brainiac, as he works to protect the world with political as well as superhuman might.
