DC Studios head James Gunn says that JJ Abrams’ Superman Movie still has the potential of being made, and he’s excited about it.
Back in 2021, it was announced that Abrams with Ta-Nehisi Coates was working on a new Superman. But instead of Clark Kent or Kal El, it seemed that the new project would feature a Black Superman which could be either Calvin Ellis, or Val-Zod. Either way, it’s an interesting take on Superman, but they also exist in a different universe from DC’s prime universe.
Since the merger between Discovery and WarnerMedia, we’ve seen many cancelled projects. Many would even think of Leslie Grace’s Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt. But there are several others like Kevin Smith’s Strange Adventures, Adam Sztykiel’s The Wonder Twins, and JJ Abrams’ Batman: Caped Crusader which he was working on with Matt Reeves and Bruce Timm.
Abrams’ other projects got cancelled too like Overlook and Demimonde. While we didn’t hear much about his Superman film, it somehow just felt like it faded away. Many thought the project might have been cancelled.
James Gunn is Excited To See JJ Abrams’ Superman
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James Gunn said while promoting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 in an interview with io9 (via Gizmodo) in regards to JJ Abrams Superman:
The two things are totally unrelated. That’s an exciting movie. I know that Changal Nong, who is the executive on that project, is extremely excited about it. So, if it comes in and it’s great, which I haven’t read the script, and if the timing is right, that could absolutely happen. That’s totally unrelated. It would be an Elseworlds tale, like Joker.
Changal Nong is currently Warner Bros Discovery’s Executive Vice President, she was Senior Vice President of Production at DC Films. With that said, it seems that Abrams Superman is still in early development and hasn’t been cancelled as some have presumed.
And, the mention of Elseworlds only means that this will not conflict with Gunn’s plans for the new DC Universe. Just like Matt Reeves’ The Batman and Todd Phillips’ Joker.
No other details are provided, but this is the first clear evidence so far that the project is moving.
JJ Abrams’ Superman In Still In Development
Credit: DC Comics
READ MORE: Superman: Legacy Is Now In Pre-Production
While we wonder about who would be featured in Abrams’ Superman movie. Just a month ago while promoting Creed III in an interview with CinemaBlend, Michael B Jordan himself was asked about his Val-Zod project with HBO Max. Jordan himself nodded which seemed to suggest that he knows about it. Midway through asking the Killmonger actor, Jordan’s PR apparently shut down the question.
It’s an interesting short conversation. While nothing was answered, it does suggest that Michael B Jordan is somehow involved in making a Val-Zod series. Maybe it’s just way too early to discuss anything about it, but nevertheless, it seems like it is moving along too.
Because of that, there is a chance that Abrams’ film could be leaning towards Calvin Ellis. Though, Coates is said to be writing a Kal-El close to the original comics. This could mean that it might be an original character altogether. Then again, Ellis’ upbringing is close to Clark’s origin. The major difference is that while Clark turned into a reporter, Ellis ended up being the President of the United States.
While Abram’s Superman could feature a new Superman entirely, it’s not far off that they could get inspiration from Grant Morrisons and Doug Mahnke’s character featured in Final Crisis No. 7.
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