About a month ago, rumors started to run around the internet that maybe Michael B Jordan could be the next Superman. His name was the latest in a string of what-if castings that started when Warner Bros refused to commit to current Superman or maybe former Superman Henry Cavill long-term. This week, Jordan himself addressed the rumors for the first time, and he gave an extremely thoughtful answer.
The conversation happened during a chit-chat with MTV. You can check out a portion of his quote below…
I’ve been rumored to play Morpheus to Superman to Duck Tales reboot to Power Rangers and everything in between, so it’s like, I’m kinda used to the rumors I’m playing something. But anything that I do dive into has to be done the right way. It has to be full of authenticity. I’m a fan of comic books, you know? I understand, you know, the fans being upset at, ‘Oh no, why are they doing this and why are they changing that?’ I would feel the same way about certain things. So just know, if I ever were to dabble in anything, it would be authentic and something that I feel like people would really support.
That is a quote from a seasoned pro right there. He doesn’t inflame the rumor in anyway, but he also doesn’t actually deny anything is going on just in case it were to happen in the future. He just gives a thoughtful, general answer about what he would bring to a comic book role and then he moves on. Very well played.
As for whether the rumor itself has any merit, I’d say probably not, but when it comes to Warner Bros and the future of the DC Extended Universe, I don’t think anyone has a complete grasp of what’s going on. Ben Affleck is definitely out as Batman and Robert Pattinson is taking over, but given the success of Wonder Woman, there’s no way the studio is going to move on from Gal Gadot. We’re getting a new Wonder Woman movie with her as the lead this year, as well.
The studio has refused to clarify Henry Cavill’s long-term future, and in fact, it seems like he’s also in the dark about what might happen moving forward. You can count me among those that thing he’s a great Superman. He’s got the right look and the right attitude to deliver Superman dialogue, whether it’s a bit more interesting or the classic Boy Scout stuff we’re all used to.
That being said, a lot of people don’t really have a fondness for Batman V Superman or especially Justice League (just ask the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut folks). So, it may be a case of the studio just wanting to let audiences break from the past and move into something new. Michael B Jordan would certainly be something new, though his casting would launch thousands of hot takes, and I’m not sure the studio is ready for that heat.
Here’s what we know for sure: Michael B Jordan is a great actor and has an appreciation for comic books. Warner Bros is definitely open to new opportunities and conversations about changing most of its superhero actors. We’ll see whether those various facts connect at any point.
