The trades have confirmed (Shadow and Act broke the news) that Warner Bros. is developing a new Superman movie with J.J. Abrams on board as producer via his Bad Robot label. Black Panther comic writer Ta-Nehisi Coates is penning the script.
Though the project is described as a reboot, Man of Steel star Henry Cavill is said to be "eager to get back into the cape."
“There is a new, powerful and moving Superman story yet to be told. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with the brilliant Mr. Coates to help bring that story to the big screen, and we’re beyond thankful to the team at Warner Bros. for the opportunity,” said Abrams in a statement.
In addition to his Marvel Comics work, Coates is the acclaimed author of bestselling books such as We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy, The Beautiful Struggle and Between the World and Me.
“To be invited into the DC Extended Universe by Warner Bros., DC Films and Bad Robot is an honor,” said the writer. “I look forward to meaningfully adding to the legacy of America's most iconic mythic hero."
We also know that Hannah Minghella will produce, but that's pretty much all we have to go on for now.
Most fans would be happy to see Cavill reprise the role, but it sounds like Abrams and the studio are looking to take the iconic hero in an entirely new direction, so they might well recast.
Here's an intriguing update from THR's Borys Kit.
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.