Which Character Do You Want As Superman In JJ’s Reboot?

[Detective Conan]

Since we’re likely getting a black Superman in JJ’s Superman reboot and as of now it’s not clear which character will be the ‘black Superman’. I was wondering which character would you prefer in the Superman mantle in this movie? Calvin Ellis, Val Zodd or the classic and iconic Clark Kent character we all know and love only race-swapped?

Normally, in an alternate universe where this movie was guaranteed to have the zilllonth white person play the role I wouldn’t even bother making this thread since universally people would choose Clark but given the possibility of a POC playing the role I’d figured I’d make this thread since I may get some more...varied answers.

Calvin Ellis

Val Zod

Clark Kent

 

[Boom]

Split between Val Zod or Kal-El. Val Zod hasn't been done before, but the more I think about it a black Clark Kent could be very interesting.

 

[Prison Mike]

Calvin Ellis...I think that would be a very unique take which the general audience has not seen before

 

[Vaibow]

This is basically WB giving us their Miles Morales.

Honest question, the way Clark Kent has predominantly been portrayed, from Reeve to Cain, to Welling, to Cavill - will they stick with the mould or would they alter the character so it isn't perceived as white washed or lacking 'blackness'.

I have friends that are what you would call 'poc' and they could totally fit the Clark Kent mould.. but let's not pretend that right now identity politics are at play... where being white, being black, it means something different... heritage comes into play, traits, morale's values - will they call it a coconut, Uncle Tom or will they change the character and there for, it's only Clark Kent in name.. This is my issue with race swapping.

I will give you an example, Daniel Kaluuya, J D Washington, both would be a great straight fit Clark Kent. He embodies Clark Kent. Yet someone like Michael B Jordan, based on his movies, he has that certain something to him which is typically defined as Blackness, whatever that may be.

Stereotypes are real for all of us let's not kid ourselves and I wanna see Clark Kent, not a politically motivated movement.

This is why - I have always said, Luthor should have been Denzil Washington and cloned superman, aka superboy, Michael B Jordan. It's too tricky.

Personally - I want to see John Henry Irons played by Ibris Elba. Imagine in that gap where Superman was dead, John Henry was able to salvage tech and create something and be a man of steel... that would be something. Anyone can be a super man.

 

[Boy Scout]

I’d be fine with any of them, but I’m partial to either Calvin (if we’re gonna do black Superman, we might as well go all the way) or Clark (for obvious reasons). I know President Superman might be a little too much/on the nose for some, but it presents the opportunity to tell a very different superhero story. And getting into the nitty gritty of growing up as a black alien in a small town and how those experiences shape you into a man who still wants to do good and be good, even while feeling persecuted from all sides, when you literally have the power to change everything and perhaps even shape the power dynamic of race relations...well, that’s a very compelling reason to just make him Clark.

 

[Kirmit]

I voted Val-zod. Personally I think him and Calvin Ellis are good characters who have proven themselves in the comics, there is no need to race swap Clark. This is my issue with Hollywood politics at the minute, there are so many great characters of varied races, backgrounds, genders out there to be used, there is no need to race/gender swap existing characters when you have a plethora to choose from.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Clark Kent all the way!

 

[SupermanFan]

Hell no to race swapping Clark Kent.

Val Zod gets my vote

 

[C Prometheus]

I voted for Clark.

Personally I don't think you need to have a new character altogether to have a black Superman, but if that winds up being the route they go in, I think I'd rather see Val Zod than Calvin Ellis personally. The "President Superman" angle just feels really on the nose IMO and I dig the more unique narrative that Val Zod offers in his journey to become Superman.

 

[flickchick85]

All 3 are cool, but my fave will always be Clark, so he got my vote.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Clark. There's never been a satisfactory adaptation of the character post-1970s in live-action. Too much potential to still be tapped to pass him up for another version.

 

[batman44]

Clark Kent or nothing for me.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Calvin I'm more open to if he isn't President. President is just too extreme a position of power. A rising local politician or something? Sure and maybe at the end of his story he can be President but a whole film series of President Superman does nothing for me.

 

[Silver Surfer]

Clark Kent, and there is no "race swapping", his race is Kryptonian, giving him a different skin pigmentation should be a non issue.

 

[Marvel united]

Kent. It's the most interesting choice IMO

 

[Prison Mike]

Well I mean the whole point of giving him a different skin pigmentation is to show what it means to be black in America. Race will be play a big part in the movie. If they were just going to play a straight Clark Kent who just happens to look black and they don’t really acknowledge it, then it would be a non issue but there would really be no point to that. I’m starting to think it will be a black Clark Kent because I think they really want to make a statement.

 

[LifesEnd]

Im gonna say val zod because I don't trust Coates on this.

 

[writer0327]

Well I mean the whole point of giving him a different skin pigmentation is to show what it means to be black in America. Race will be play a big part in the movie. If they were just going to play a straight Clark Kent who just happens to look black and they don’t really acknowledge it, then it would be a non issue but there would really be no point to that. I’m starting to think it will be a black Clark Kent because I think they really want to make a statement.

What statement do you think they're trying to make?

 

[Lobo]

Kong Kenan the Super-Man of China. Just kidding. Never read his comic I did order it though.. I think we will be getting Calvin. So I voted for him. Do not think he should be President, but a politician looking to be President in near future.

 

[SiegePerilous]

Clark. There's never been a satisfactory adaptation of the character post-1970s in live-action. Too much potential to still be tapped to pass him up for another version.

Yep. Clark is one of my favorite superheroes and favorite fictional characters period and we've been getting underwhelming film attempts because WB have mixed feelings about the character and wish he was Batman. They don't know how to give him his due, so shelving him after they have done damage to his image is never going to sit right.

Ideally I wouldn't want a race swap (David Corenswet is right there), but as long as the character was treated with the proper reverence while also addressing his quirks and flaws in an interesting way and a black actor could bring that to life, I'd be happy to give it a chance.

On the other hand...

Im gonna say val zod because I don't trust Coates on this.

Yeah, if Coates screws the pooch on this one, maybe let Val Zod take the hit instead of Clark lol

Did they not ask John Ridley? He's already touched on some interesting view points on Superman in his Black Label comic

 

[SwordOfMorning]

David Corenswet is a perfectly fine actor but he's a good example of the kind of actor I'd want them to avoid even if they were casting a white person. He just feels so... Default.

 

[BobJM]

Right now, I’m pretty firmly in the Clark Kent camp.

I did do some reading up on Val Zod & Calvin Ellis and think both/either could conceivably be adapted for screens & even introduced in Flashpoint alongside Sasha Calle’s Supergirl, but I’m still gravitating towards Kent’s story for this reboot.

That being said, I wouldn’t mind seeing some Val-Zod design aesthetics integrated into Superman’s look, i.e. the color scheme:

 

[Kirmit]

I love Val-Zod’s suit, it would look great on the big screen.

 

[Calvin Ellis]

I want Calvin Ellis with Val-Zod's suit. The only way I would want Val-Zod is if they actually do the Earth-2 story and to do that you would have to let Snyder finish his story and do the whole Knightmare saga just changing on what happened to Superman.

 

[Boy Scout]

I like Calvin’s suit a lot better, but you can’t go wrong with either. The Reborn suit from the comics would also be a great choice if they wanna use one of Clark’s.