David Zaslav reportedly objected to Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black 'Superman' film over perceived political inclusivity.
In a significant shift for the DC Universe, James Gunn and Peter Safran, the new heads of DC Studios, are set to steer the brand in a bold new direction. Gunn, who joined Warner Bros. as the director of 2021's The Suicide Squad, will now oversee not only films but also the entire DC media landscape, including TV show spin-offs on HBO Max.
This new era will see an increase in production, with one animated and two live-action films a year, a strategy aimed at revitalising the DC brand. However, one project that will not be part of this new direction is a Black Superman movie script, penned by Ta-Nehisi Coates and J.J. Abrams, which was reportedly rejected by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.
The Black Superman movie, envisioned as a civil rights-era period piece, was intended to be a race-swapped take on the iconic Superman character, distinct from existing Black Superman comic characters like Val-Zod or Calvin Ellis. Zaslav's decision to halt development came after the merger with Discovery in 2022, as part of his broader strategic vision to steer the DC brand towards a more broadly appealing direction.
Warner Bros. was struggling to reboot its cinematic universe, aiming to make films less grim and gritty and more narratively consistent. The Superman movie, starring David Corenswet, has a reported budget of $225 million and is currently in theaters. The movie's financial success is compared to Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps, set to release on July 21.
Despite the Black Superman movie not happening, Gunn has expressed that he hasn't ruled out a potential future Black Kryptonian film. The movie has already entered the culture wars and has received mixed reviews. Germain Lussier, from this article's publication, has given the Superman movie a glowing review, while The Wall Street Journal released a report signaling Gunn's Superman film as Warner Bros.' last chance to make its comic book brand successful.
The decision to reject the Black Superman script was influenced by fan controversy and criticism that the project was a lazy approach to diversity, preferring instead to create stories about original or established Black DC characters. Zaslav's move was also aimed at preventing backlash from moviegoers who had been alienated by such approaches at rival franchises.
The strategy for DC Studios involves a leaner output of movies and TV shows, aiming for narrative unity. Warner Bros. executives met with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige in an attempt to convince him to switch sides, but the talks "fizzled". The movie needs to gross more than $500 million globally to satisfy Warner Bros. executives.
While the Black Superman film and James Gunn's Superman movie are unrelated, the future of the DC Universe under Gunn and Safran's leadership remains an exciting prospect for fans and industry observers alike.
- Gunn, the new head of DC Studios, will oversee not only films but also the entire DC media landscape, including TV show spin-offs on HBO Max.
- The strategy for DC Studios involves a leaner output of movies and TV shows, aiming for narrative unity.
- The Superman movie, starring David Corenswet, has a reported budget of $225 million and is currently in theaters.
- Despite the Black Superman movie not happening, Gunn has expressed that he hasn't ruled out a potential future Black Kryptonian film.
- Germain Lussier, from this article's publication, has given the Superman movie a glowing review, while The Wall Street Journal released a report signaling Gunn's Superman film as Warner Bros.' last chance to make its comic book brand successful.
- The decision to reject the Black Superman script was influenced by fan controversy and criticism that the project was a lazy approach to diversity, preferring instead to create stories about original or established Black DC characters.
