The Daily Planet - Superman News and Speculation Thread

[Frodo]

Regardless of anyone's personal take on Kal-El being a POC, objectively this reeks of a PR move of one by WB and honestly this will likely backfire at the box office.

Whether anyone likes it or not, changing Kal-El is going to draw a big backlash. Some racist, some who are upset by changing the source material, some who feels it's pandering, and of course the Snyderverse/Cavill fans who are insanely loyal.

There is still a large generation of people who think of the traditional Superman. It's just that way. Given his iconic status, it's going to draw backlash. Even based on the stuff I've seen online, there is a segment of the African American community that do not like this and feel it's insulting to them.

It's not a big story right now because nothing is confirmed, but simply based on the initial reactions, I cannot see this going over well, which is why I think MBJ chose to distance himself from this.

If WB is going to insist on Superman being a POC, they are much better off using a an alternate character, which even then will have it's own unique response.

Well being from the African American community myself, I'm highly skeptical they will represent a huge segment of the community overall.

African American's can hold two thoughts in their mind at once. They can be ,and are fond of, the white iterations of Superman, but they will also give a black Superman a chance , so that's not even an issue. Any fanboys hoping that Blacks will turn their back on a Black Superman is kidding themselves.

The bottom line is there are going to be people who can't accept the idea of a Black Superman, Clark or not. If they're that outraged about it, they won't see it, and WB certainly shouldn't be so naive to be surprised if that happens.

So yes, there's going to be a backlash , though the response to the idea of a Black Superman has actually been more divided in fandom then I thought, i.e. there are alot more people open to it than alot of fanboys would like.

The question is , how many people will see the film and give it a chance.

 

[Boom]

I'm very excited to see it. I just hope that its handling of the subject of race is done more tactfully than Disney's clumsy handling of it in FatWS.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Nearly the entire population of young adults with a predilection to be interested in this type of movie is incredibly gung-ho about diversity and POC filmmakers/actors getting time in the spotlight. Stuff like this is the future. I know people who wouldn't have had any interest in the Superman character normally who are super excited for this just on principle.

Superman has had serious problems connecting with modern audiences for awhile now. Doing something very distinct and different just makes perfect sense.

 

[Boom]

Nearly the entire population of young adults with a predilection to be interested in this type of movie is incredibly gung-ho about diversity and POC filmmakers/actors getting time in the spotlight. Stuff like this is the future.

Superman has had serious problems connecting with modern audiences for awhile now. Doing something very distinct and different just makes perfect sense.

Right. WB's last two attempts with the character weren't exactly home runs. It's not comparable to the situation with Batman.

This may very well be the shot-in-the-arm the franchise needs. And I don't think you necessarily get that with some Earth 2 Superman that nobody in the general population has ever heard of. Black Clark Kent though? Intentions aside, that gets attention.

 

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

This is starting to sound interesting.

Period piece or not, I think it’d be cool to harken back to the original comics and serials, with the original costume, to sort of emphasise what Superman was always about from the get go.

Also, Barry Jenkins directing a soulfully rich Superman film would be amazing.

Oh, and I wonder if Lex will be a white supremacist. Or a member of the KKK. Maybe they’ll take inspiration from the recent Superman Smashes the Klan comic.

And can you imagine all the rustled jimmies if they call it Man of Tomorrow?

 

[Chip Chipperson]

I don't know. I'm not sure that another Superman movie about a Superman in total conflict with society (this time due to racism along with being an alien) is the route they should take.

If it was set that far back in time, I could also see the film showing white people coming around to black people due to the black Superman's heroics by the end. "Black Superman solved racism" or anything like that would be a very cringey message.

If they bring in a capable director who can balance all these things, then I don't see the problem with them going for it.

and in regards to the setting as well as the message of "Black Superman solves racism," I don't think they'd go that far honestly. There would certainly be a message, sure, but I don't think they're gonna go that route. Hollywood may be up their own ass most of the time, but something as high profile an idea as a black superman, I don't think they're gonna try to alienate audiences. There's going to be a fine line similar to what you're talking about, and they need to find the sweet spot, should they decide to include racial themes in the film (and with the Coates involved, thats pretty much a guarantee at this point.)

 

[SwordOfMorning]

I'm not as huge a Barry Jenkins fan as most people - I find his style excessively melodramatic and cloying at times - but the things that make certain scenes in his realist dramas feel awkward would work very well in something more heightened like a Superman movie.

....also just remembered that Barry Jenkins is, unaccountably, directing The Lion King 2. For now.

 

[batman44]

I am relieved that this incarnation of Superman will continue to be Kal-El, that was the most important factor for me being interested in this project.

 

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

If they bring in a capable director who can balance all these things, then I don't see the problem with them going for it.

and in regards to the setting as well as the message of "Black Superman solves racism," I don't think they'd go that far honestly. There would certainly be a message, sure, but I don't think they're gonna go that route. Hollywood may be up their own ass most of the time, but something as high profile an idea as a black superman, I don't think they're gonna try to alienate audiences. There's going to be a fine line similar to what you're talking about, and they need to find the sweet spot, should they decide to include racial themes in the film (and with the Coates involved, thats pretty much a guarantee at this point.)

If anything I think the film would highlight the opposite. That maybe no single figure will help eradicate racism.

After all, even with the guy Calvin Ellis Superman was based off, the half black half white president who many thought would help usher in an age of racial harmony, a real life “Man of Tomorrow”, it clearly wasn’t so in the end.

 

[Superark]

The questiontion is , how many people will see the film and give it a chance.

This is my concern, because if it underperforms once again, Superman will once again be in development hell, which I fear is where we are headed.

 

[Calvin Ellis]

Personally I would've preferred for a Calvin Ellis movie set in more modern times but I'm open to it being a period peace if that's the way their going. Also people please remember that Calvin Ellis is Kal-El as well. Clark Kent isn't the only Kal-El.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

This is my concern, because if it underperforms once again, Superman will once again be in development hell, which I fear is where we are headed.

That's a risk no matter what they do. Superman is, unfortunately, clearly a tricky character for the GA. I'm not sure an ultra traditional take is even the safe way to go.

A big key is Clark being a very lovable, decent, charismatic person. Nailing that should be the priority. People need to love him. Not saying he can't have flaws, people get way too up in arms about Superman having any sort of character defects, but he needs to be someone you really connect with on an emotional level. Returns and Man of Steel's key failures were on that front.

 

[Calvin Ellis]

This is my concern, because if it underperforms once again, Superman will once again be in development hell, which I fear is where we are headed.

I think many people will give it a chance since there has been a demand for a solo comic book series for him & Val-Zod and given the reception of Miles Spider-Man and Falcon as Cap.

 

[Marvel united]

This is starting to sound interesting.

Period piece or not, I think it’d be cool to harken back to the original comics and serials, with the original costume, to sort of emphasise what Superman was always about from the get go.

Also, Barry Jenkins directing a soulfully rich Superman film would be amazing.

Oh, and I wonder if Lex will be a white supremacist. Or a member of the KKK. Maybe they’ll take inspiration from the recent Superman Smashes the Klan comic.

And can you imagine all the rustled jimmies if they call it Man of Tomorrow?

Oh, absolutely. I hope that's the title of the film.

This has the potential to be WB's answer to Black Panther, culturally speaking, if they play their aces, and do this right. Just the thought of Barry Jenkins directing this gives me chills

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

If we're having a black Kal-El, I hope they keep the same energy and give us a black Lois Lane on this project as well.

Would love to see a black CBM power couple.

 

[All-Father]

This is my concern, because if it underperforms once again, Superman will once again be in development hell, which I fear is where we are headed.

I guess so. And one of the things that worries the most: Ta-Nehisi Coates is going to write a superhero movie who already has a bad/mediocre track record as as far as movies go, and his comic book writing has also mediocre at best.

 

[Calvin Ellis]

If we're having a black Kal-El, I hope they keep the same energy and give us a black Lois Lane on this project as well.

Would love to see a black CBM power couple.

I say it doesn't matter what race Lois is because Calvin is a blank state although in the comics his Lois is white from another Earth.

 

[Prison Mike]

I’m happy that it’s a stand alone and not in DCEU. Henry still has a chance!

 

[Calvin Ellis]

I’m happy that it’s a stand alone and not in DCEU. Henry still has a chance!

I still think they should revisit their ideas back during the JL:Mortal phase where they planned to let Routh and Bale do the solo movies and use a different cast for JL. That can still work if they just make things clear.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

I say it doesn't matter what race Lois is because Calvin is a blank state although in the comics his Lois is white from another Earth.

Again, I say make her black in this iteration. Nothing against interracial couples, but it’s always the same narrative: Have one prominent black character, put them with someone white/non-black.

Go all the way and give us a black couple. That would really pleasantly surprise me.

 

[BobJM]

I think my original pitch in light of recent news still works—even if Coates & Abrams decide to make this a period piece.

I like the names Superman, It’s Superman! (especially if it’s a period piece), and Man of Tomorrow.

SUPERMAN
directed by J.D. Dillard
written by Ta-Nehisi Coates
produced by J.J. Abrams

Clark Kent / Superman: Stephan James, 27

FULL CAST

Lois Lane: Naomi Scott, 27

Lana Lang: Taylor Russell, 25

VILLAINS
Lex Luthor: Bradley Cooper, 46

Mercy Graves: Jodie Turner-Smith, 34

John Corben / Metallo: Glen Powell, 30

SMALLVILLE
Jonathan Kent: Denzel Washington, 66

Martha Kent: Aunjanue Ellis, 52

Pete Ross: Lewis Pullman, 28

KRYPTON
Jorel: David Oyelowo, 44

Lara: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, 37

DAILY PLANET
Perry White: Nick Offerman, 50

Jimmy Olsen: Finn Wolfhard, 18

Cat Grant: Kelly Marie Tran, 32

Ron Troupe: Rob Morgan, 48

ADDITIONAL
Dr. Emil Hamilton: Courtney B. Vance, 60

Bibbo Bibbowski: Greg Grunberg, 54

PLOT TREATMENT

Use Mark Waid’s Birthright and Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale’s Superman For All Seasons as the base of the plot with elements of Grant Morrison’s Calvin Ellis story from Action Comics #9. And just a pinch of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Secret Origin.

Clark Kent aspires to be an investigative reporter, blogging his travels as he exposes injustice around the world—fighting for truth, justice, liberty and equality. The assassination of a political revolutionary in Qurac propels Clark to chase a lead back to Metropolis where he will become Superman.

He finds a kindred spirit in intrepid reporter Lois Lane and the two develop a friendly, albeit competitive, relationship in the Daily Planet newsroom. From Intergang busts to exposing corruption in city government, Lane has made a reputation of taking on the powerful. And next on her list? Metropolis' favorite son, Lex Luthor.

The LexCorp CEO is the main antagonist, seeing Superman’s arrival in Metropolis as a challenge to his power and the status quo. Luthor tries to use the press to turn the city against Superman after revealing that he’s an extraterrestrial, and “not one of us.”

Luthor discovers and then later perverts Kryptonian technology—in essence, Clark’s very culture/heritage/identity—to create an elaborate “alien invasion” to justify his state-of-the-art security force led by Sgt. John Corben to patrol the skies of Metropolis and watch over its citizens.

As in Superman for All Seasons, the story should bounce between Metropolis and Smallville with Clark seeking guidance from the his parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent—especially after Lex Luthor calls him an alien—and still pining after his high school sweetheart, Lana Lang.

During his assault on Metropolis, Luthor uses the Kryptonian technology to transcend space and time to contact the dying planet seeking cosmic knowledge. As Superman finally wins the day and saves the city, he sees his birth parents Jorel and Lara for the first time. In their final moments, the doomed scientists hear their son’s voice through the signal transmission: “Mother, Father...I made it.”

Hope rewarded.

The film is still pure Superman, and a skillful writer like Ta-Nehisi Coates can couch Luthor’s anti-Kryptonian rhetoric in the real-world racism and discrimination that Black Americans face every day in an eloquent & powerful way. Couple that with a security police force—directly funded by Luthor, the 1%—that is created to target beings like Superman and Coates has more parallels to draw from to further make this film stand out & really resonate with audiences.

COMIC SOURCES / CONCEPT ART

origin
https://******************.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2021.02.27-02.47-******************-6039b2b9e06dc.jpg

costume

lois lane

lana lang

lex luthor

lexcorp security force

sgt. john corben / metallo

metropolis

(use Philadelphia as a stand-in)

lexcorp

(use Philadelphia's Comcast Tower as stand-in)

star labs

(use CHOP, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, as stand-in)

daily planet

(use Philadelphia's BNY Mellon building as stand-in)

finale

 

[Legendver2]

I'm very excited to see it. I just hope that its handling of the subject of race is done more tactfully than Disney's clumsy handling of it in FatWS.

I read this and just LOL. You really think WB is going to top Marvel on this? WB?

If they bring in a capable director who can balance all these things, then I don't see the problem with them going for it.

and in regards to the setting as well as the message of "Black Superman solves racism," I don't think they'd go that far honestly. There would certainly be a message, sure, but I don't think they're gonna go that route. Hollywood may be up their own ass most of the time, but something as high profile an idea as a black superman, I don't think they're gonna try to alienate audiences. There's going to be a fine line similar to what you're talking about, and they need to find the sweet spot, should they decide to include racial themes in the film (and with the Coates involved, thats pretty much a guarantee at this point.)

Really depends on what iteration of Kal-El they use imo. We have existing black Supes in the comics, but if they go out of their way to make a new Kal, it's a wild card really. Imo, if they make him Clark, that might just be worst. They really going to have to race-bend a character to talk about racial issues in the 40's instead of using an actual Black Superman character that already exists is gonna rub some people the wrong way. This worked for Black Panther because Black Panther is actually a black character.

That's a risk no matter what they do. Superman is, unfortunately, clearly a tricky character for the GA. I'm not sure an ultra traditional take is even the safe way to go.

A big key is Clark being a very lovable, decent, charismatic person. Nailing that should be the priority. People need to love him. Not saying he can't have flaws, people get way too up in arms about Superman having any sort of character defects, but he needs to be someone you really connect with on an emotional level. Returns and Man of Steel's key failures were on that front.

Well the thing is, they haven't really tried a traditional take at all, aside from Donnor. SR is just an extension of that, and the reboot isn't what anyone would call traditional. They're trying to change too much on a character that never got his due to having a successful traditional take, so yea, I can see hardcore fans being unhappy if they weren't a fan of MoS or the Snyderverse take. Feels like WB is trying to run before they can walk.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

I read this and just LOL. You really think WB is going to top Marvel on this? WB?

To say Coates is more talented than the writers on Falcon & Winter Soldier (much as I like Kolstad) is a hilariously huge understatement. It ain't about the studio, its about the talent. WB has had some instances of meddling (on movies I don't care about, personally) but there are just as many instances of them leaving the creatives alone - far moreso than Marvel does.

A Superman film written by Coates and directed by anyone on that list but lets go with Shaka King because he'd be my choice is probably going to be a far ballsier, more interesting take on the subject matter. There's a real limit on how provocative a big studio blockbuster is ever going to be, but never the less.

 

[Scarlet Spider]

It's going to be Clark Kent and let's be honest, most that are upset about that, is mostly sour grapes over Cavill.

 

[Legendver2]

To say Coates is more talented than the writers on Falcon & Winter Soldier (much as I like Kolstad) is a hilariously huge understatement. It ain't about the studio, its about the talent. WB has had some instances of meddling (on movies I don't care about, personally) but there are just as many instances of them leaving the creatives alone - far moreso than Marvel does.

WB, at least as far as the DCEU/Snyderverse goes, have been know to have big balls in the beginning to do something different/controversial, only to chicken out in the last minute and meddle. If you got Coates, writing a black Superman in the 40's which is guaranteed to involve racial issues, I'm not sure which side WB's balls will land midway through this production.