Black Superman Film Canceled for Being “Too Woke

Warner Bros. Discovery’s New Leadership Scraps Black Superman Film Project Written by Ta-Nehisi Coates as ‘Too Woke

Warner Bros. Discovery, under CEO David Zaslav, canceled the Black Superman film project written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Zaslav, who took the studio’s helm in 2022, allegedly deemed the project “too woke” or “too politically correct.” J.J. Abrams was attached to produce this film, which aimed to feature a Black Superman set during the American Civil Rights Era, offering a distinct perspective from the current DC Universe’s Superman, portrayed by David Corenswet. The cancellation reportedly came as a surprise. Before the Warner Bros. and Discovery merger, two different Black Superman projects were in development. One was the feature film by Coates and Abrams, conceived as an alternate universe story set in a specific historical period. The other was an HBO Max limited series from Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society, focusing on Val-Zod, a Superman variant from Earth-2. Following the merger, new DC Studios leadership, James Gunn and Peter Safran, initiated a creative reshuffle. This new direction, overseen by David Zaslav, prioritized establishing a single version of Superman on the big screen within the DC shared universe, featuring David Corenswet.

Coates’ Black Superman Resurfaces under DC Studios’ Elseworlds Banner – A Potential Alternative Universe Storyline

Despite the cancellation of the Coates and Abrams film, its future remains a possibility. Sources from The Wall Street Journal indicate the project could be resumed under DC Studios’ “Elseworlds” banner. This label houses stories outside the main DC canon, allowing the Black Superman film to coexist with the current Superman, similar to Robert Pattinson’s Batman, which is part of Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe and separate from the main DCU. James Gunn has hinted that Coates’ screenplay could become an Elseworlds story, much like The Joker. Currently, the only active “Elseworlds” project is The Batman – Part II, slated for release on October 1, 2027. The Coates script could still be developed in the future, especially if the new DCU maintains creative and financial success. The new Superman film, with a budget of $225 million, has already premiered and is surpassing box office expectations. This success is aiding Warner Bros.’ efforts to revitalize DC’s cinematic presence, particularly against Marvel Studios’ dominance. The potential for the Black Superman story to find a home within the Elseworlds banner keeps the project’s prospects alive for future development.