Could Michael B. Jordan Be the Next Superman?
Michael B. Jordan may be looking for a transfer from Wakanda to Metropolis because he's been involved in discussions about becoming the next Superman. After movies like "Aquaman" and "Joker" have erased the stain of failure DC Films went through with superhero bombs like "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," the studio is exploring new ways to develop some of their iconic characters in new projects. Warner Bros, the parent company of DC Films, recently announced that Robert Pattinson would be taking over the role of Batman for their next flick, and now they have their sights set on Superman.
Who Will Play Superman?
DC Films is looking to move on from the Superman stars they've already used, like Brandon Routh in “Superman Returns” and Henry Cavill in “Man of Steel." One of the stars in the running, however, is Michael B. Jordan.
According to Variety:
"To help find a way to make Superman relevant to modern audiences, studio brass has been polling lots of high-profile talent. There have been discussions with J.J. Abrams, whose company Bad Robot recently signed a massive first-look deal with the studio, and there was a meeting with Michael B. Jordan earlier this year with the 'Creed' star pitching Warners on a vision for the character."
Variety also reports that Jordan hasn't committed to anything and that a Superman movie is probably still a few years away.
Marvel to DC
If he signed on for the role, Michael B. Jordan would be making a huge jump from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to DC. He starred in Marvel's insanely-popular movie, "Black Panther," as Erik Killmonger. Even though he played a villain, Jordan was hailed for his performance and turned his character into a fan-favorite. However spoiler alert -- Killmonger dies so there's a good chance his time in the MCU was done anyways.
If Michael B. Jordan did end up as the Man of Steel, he would most definitely make the character his own and immerse himself in the role. After "Black Panther," he spoke on the mental toll it took to craft the character of Killmonger.
"I found myself kind of in the routine of being isolated and went out of my way to make sure I was by myself and didn't say too much more than the usual. Once I got finished wrapping the movie, it took me some time to talk through how I was feeling and why I was feeling so sad and like a little bit depressed," he told Bill Simmons during an interview in 2018.
Fans Weigh In
After word got out that Michael B. Jordan could end up playing Superman, fans immediately took to Twitter to argue for and against him landing the role.
"Superman doesn’t need some change to make him relevant, he’s already plenty relatable and relevant. WB needs to stop trying to “reinvent” Superman. Fucking Marvel didn’t need to reinvent Captain America to make him more popular, they just adapted the character as is. Do that," one fan commented.
Another wrote, "No. No way. I'm all for diversity and that, but when a character is designed to be a certain way, there is no reason to throw all that out the window for "diversity" reasons."
"He was excellent as the villain in Black Panther—so excellent that it would be tough for me to see him flip to a hero role. I’d just see Killmonger pretending to be Superman," one Marvel fan commented.
We'll just have to wait and see what's in store for the Man of Steel!
