Star of Marvel’s Black Panther, Michael B. Jordan, has just signed a first look deal with Warner Bros., which could mean the actor could end up playing Green Lantern John Stewart or maybe even Superman.
Warner Bros. announced the news in a press release noting, “This powerful marriage will focus on culturally rich storytelling, representative of the global community and providing a platform for the next generation of talent to thrive.”
“Warner Bros. is the perfect home for myself, my brilliant president of production Alana Mayo and Outlier Society,” said Jordan. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for their visionary leadership and commitment to producing a broad slate of films, which gives us more range and more opportunity as producers. Most importantly, they share my passion for telling unique, creatively-fulfilling stories and giving a voice to the next generation of talent.”
Regarding the potential of playing John Stewart, Warner Bros. and Geoff Johns are currently developing a Green Lantern Corps movie. It is confirmed the film will feature John Stewart, who has been described as a 30-year-old African-American Marine Sniper before he joined the Lantern Corps.
Last September also saw Michael B. Jordan said to be a possible contender to play Superman in a reboot of the character. At the time it was said that 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. It is currently unknown if Henry Cavill will be returning to the Superman role as reportedly he is in heated discussions with Warner Bros. over contract negotiations. As WB is moving away from a DCEU shared universe, it could also be possible that Michael B. Jordan stars in a new Superman movie that is set outside of continuity, much the same way the Joaquin Phoenix Joker movie is separate from the Jared Leto version.
To be clear, it is unknown if Michael B. Jordan is up for a DC role, but the possibility is there.
Here is the official announcement from Warner Bros.:
MICHAEL B. JORDAN’S OUTLIER SOCIETY CEMENTS PARTNERSHIP WITH WARNER BROS. PICTURES GROUP IN FIRST-LOOK FILM DEAL
(January 23, 2019 – Burbank, CA) – Coming off 2018 record-breaking films, including Academy Award Best Picture nominee “Black Panther” and “Creed II,” actor/producer Michael B. Jordan has signed a first-look deal for his production company Outlier Society with Warner Bros. Pictures Group, it was announced today by Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. This marks a continuation of their partnership following the unveiling of a joint production diversity policy in September 2018, the first of its kind. Warner Bros. Pictures’ upcoming “Just Mercy,” a Jordan-starring and producing vehicle, became the first film under the new policy.
Warner Bros. Pictures is also coming off a critically and commercially successful year delivering its best-ever results at the worldwide box office.
This powerful marriage will focus on culturally rich storytelling, representative of the global community and providing a platform for the next generation of talent to thrive.
“Michael has become a leading voice in a new generation of talent and is creating real change in the industry,” said Emmerich. “His talent is undeniable, and beyond that, his commitment and conviction around representation and inclusion are inspiring—he truly walks the walk. We’re extremely proud to be in business with him and excited about a number of projects on the horizon.”
“Michael has been part of the WarnerMedia family since starring on ‘The Wire’ for HBO when he was 15-years-old,” said Kevin Tsujihara, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. “From our work with him on the two ‘Creed’ films and more recently on ‘Just Mercy,’ we’ve come to know him as someone who is thoughtful, focused and serious about making great films that are representative and inclusive of new voices and new talent on camera and on set. We’re honored that he’s chosen Warner Bros. as his creative home.”
“Warner Bros. is the perfect home for myself, my brilliant president of production Alana Mayo and Outlier Society,” said Jordan. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for their visionary leadership and commitment to producing a broad slate of films, which gives us more range and more opportunity as producers. Most importantly, they share my passion for telling unique, creatively-fulfilling stories and giving a voice to the next generation of talent.”
Courtenay Valenti, President, Production and Development, Warner Bros. Pictures, worked closely with Emmerich on this deal, along with Jordan’s agency, WME, and attorney Bloom Hergott.
