The Daily Planet - Superman News and Speculation Thread

[writer0327]

What makes you think it is tokenization? That is such a friggin cop out. So if a great Black Actor grew up loving Superman and wanted to play him they shouldn't because in the 1930s characters had to be White?

Superman is my favorite character in any medium, of any type, ever. I love every version of it. I see no reason that he can't be or shouldn't a minority. I definitely dont think there is any validity to the idea that he can't be just cause he never was before. Perry White was never Black before but Laurence Fishbourne played him. Jim Gordan was never Black before...lots of characters change over time and Superman can too and it will lose nothing of the iconic nature and in reality it fits way more than more people are willing to admit. Superman is an immigrant, it makes sense he wouldn't look like just your average boy in Kansas.

Reskinned Superman is pointless and actually for me, it's insulting as well. Because rather than spending time, money, and effort to promote more original black characters, these guys lazily reskin an iconic character so they can have diversity on the cheap. There are tons of original black characters that could use this moment, I've been saying this for years, somewhere I said already said they could build-up Icon and any Milestone character. But they would rather do this lazy money grab than requires less effort. How about they give the same energy and passion and promotion they have to Superman, Batman and Spider-Man, that built them into the stars they are, to some of their black characters? Stop raceswapping on classic characters for easy diversity. Make original black/Latino/Asian characters into American icons, how about that???

Superman is my favorite character of all time as well. Still have my old Superman bedsheets.

 

[writer0327]

Then you have no clue what that word means imho sorry.

Your opinion is wrong.

 

[SiegePerilous]

New diverse characters with their own unique identities would be ideal, but it's hard for them to gain traction in both comics and other media.

I'd prefer more original characters because legacy/mantle sharing bores me and it's not really anything that new. It's just tweaked costume designs clearly modeled after iconic costume attached to other characters, and visually that is just so dull to me. The appeal of superheroes and villains is seeing all these different costumes and designs that are easily distinguishable from each other.

But I understand this is unfortunately the only way more diverse characters have a chance of getting a foothold, so its necessary.

 

[TripleJ]

New diverse characters with their own unique identities would be ideal, but it's hard for them to gain traction in both comics and other media.

I'd prefer more original characters because legacy/mantle sharing bores me and it's not really anything that new. It's just tweaked costume designs clearly modeled after iconic costume attached to other characters, and visually that is just so dull to me. The appeal of superheroes and villains is seeing all these different costumes and designs that are easily distinguishable from each other.

But I understand this is unfortunately the only way more diverse characters have a chance of getting a foothold, so its necessary.

Yeah, pretty much. WB has already lost a lot of money (albeit from their own decisions) trying to build a cinematic universe.

I don't think they would be eager to take another big gamble and make a major/blockbuster movie about an unknown character.

Besides, Superman's race isn't important to who he is as a character (Would be a different argument if it was). He's an Alien and he could be of any skin color.

Granted, you could probably tell a different set of stories by changing his race (relating to Black American experience for instance).

Heck, even if you are looking at Superman's characteristics/traits, it has changed across the years with various writers (for instance: early appearance of being depicted as a champion of oppressed).

So why not explore a different take on the character?

 

[DrexlLookinAss]

I like what i'm seeing from this Superman news.

Am I wrong for imagining MBJ doing whiteface and chappelle white guy voice for his daily planet disguise

 

[writer0327]

An original character would never gain the same amount of traction as an established character. Making Superman a different race is a statement.

So are you saying it's impossible to create an original black character or take an existing black character that few have heard of, and then through investment and promotion, have that character become extremely popular and arguably exceed the popularity of characters who came before?

Yes. Making Superman a different race is a statement. That's the only reason to do it. But I say make a better statement and respect the legacy of the black characters they already have.

Put. Them. On.

As much as I love Superman, I would prefer they go all in on Cyborg.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Sure, you want to give that character 75 years to catch up to the iconic status of Superman first?

 

[SiegePerilous]

Yeah, pretty much. WB has already lost a lot of money (albeit from their own decisions) trying to build a cinematic universe.

I don't think they would be eager to take another big gamble and make a major/blockbuster movie about an unknown character.

Besides, Superman's race isn't important to who he is as a character (Would be a different argument if it was). He's an Alien and he could be of any skin color.

Granted, you could probably tell a different set of stories by changing his race (relating to Black American experience for instance).

Heck, even if you are looking at Superman's characteristics/traits, it has changed across the years with various writers (for instance: early appearance of being depicted as a champion of oppressed).

So why not explore a different take on the character?

I think an important aspect of Superman is the fact that he's an alien who "passes" as human, like immigrants and people of mixed ethnicity who pass as "white." It's one of the most interesting aspects of him, but isn't as prominent if Clark isn't white himself. There is also the fact that he could be coded as Jewish due who created him. Whereas casting Momoa as Aquaman doesn't really change any of the characters roots and actually enhances him.

I also lament that a shared universe DC brand isn't what it should be at this point, because we could get movies for Vixen, Icon, Black Lightning and Steel by now, and a GL mythos with room for at least Hal and John if not more of the others.

 

[Primal Slayer]

If this movie is about Calvin Ellis, then I’m all in. That would be very interesting and something new. But if they’re going with the traditional Clark Kent and making him black then I’ll be pretty disappointed. There are a lot of original black characters that are constantly being passed up for the same white characters. Changing the race of a character is not moving forward IMO. It seems inauthentic to me, like you’re only doing it to please some people and get them off your back. I’m not white, I’m Indian. It would mean the world to me to see an original Indian superhero in a big Hollywood movie. I don’t want to see a brown Barry Allen...I want to see an original character that looks like me and can stand on his/her own.

I think its one thing when you have characters of color who've been part of the mantle and been around for years compared to taking characters that have no POC to adapt.

No reason to make Peter Park black when you have Miles Morales. No reason to make Hal Jordan black when you have John Stewart. No reaosn to make Diana Prince black when you have Nubia. But with The Flash? There arent really any established characters that I can think of before they introduced Wally/Wallace in New52 and created all of that mess.

 

[writer0327]

New diverse characters with their own unique identities would be ideal, but it's hard for them to gain traction in both comics and other media.

I'd prefer more original characters because legacy/mantle sharing bores me and it's not really anything that new. It's just tweaked costume designs clearly modeled after iconic costume attached to other characters, and visually that is just so dull to me. The appeal of superheroes and villains is seeing all these different costumes and designs that are easily distinguishable from each other.

But I understand this is unfortunately the only way more diverse characters have a chance of getting a foothold, so its necessary.

Anything worth doing is hard. If they really cared, they'd give these characters the respect they deserve. Yes money is in the line, they're going to lose some. But diversity for the sake of diversity, I'm sorry, it's just not good enough. Its not diversity, its literally just checking boxes. How about giving original black characters a chance?

You said it perfectly. Its boring and this is one of the many reasons why entertainment is suffering. Give us original characters, new heroes to love, new voices to speak, new villains to hate, new stories to tell. Stop taking the lazy way out with old reliable characters reskinned and repackages to fill a diversity check box or whatever.

 

[Eddie Dean]

I wonder if you would be calling out for original characters if a white guy was going to play Superman.

 

[SiegePerilous]

I wonder if you would be calling out for original characters if a white guy was going to play Superman.

Personally I wouldn't care if Clark was black as long as he was recognizably Clark in terms of writing and performance.

I'm a little more concerned that this might not be Clark period, and the writer once had Shuri tell a woman to suck up being raped for the glory of Wakanda.

 

[writer0327]

Sure, you want to give that character 75 years to catch up to the iconic status of Superman first?

Well you gotta give them a chance. Not comic related, but the characters of Captain Jack Sparrow and Harry Potter have reached iconic status, certainly not on Superman's level, but they definitely enormously popular characters and they haven't been around for 75 years. Harley Quinn and Deadpool are arguably top 20 popular comic book characters and they are both 30 years old. Who knows where they'll be in 30-40 years. It can be done but they have to actually put forth an effort.

 

[DlAMONDZ]

Reading some of Coates comments, yea I'm not optimistic at all. WB picked a guy that doesn't like Superman or DC to write their movie

Sounds like a disaster in the making

 

[Black Narcissus]

Well you gotta give them a chance. Not comic related, but the characters of Captain Jack Sparrow and Harry Potter have reached iconic status, certainly not on Superman's level, but they definitely enormously popular characters and they haven't been around for 75 years. Harley Quinn and Deadpool are arguably top 20 popular comic book characters and they are both 30 years old. Who knows where they'll be in 30-40 years. It can be done but they have to actually put forth an effort.

I ain't waiting 40 years bald man. If Supes remains white then cool, if he is black then hell yeah, if he is of any other race/background I'm all game for that, you Supe fans have plenty of other forms in which Supes looks like what you want, this news has me:

 

[dhandler01]

Your opinion is wrong.

Yeah your previous post tells me I am not. But hey you do you...

 

[writer0327]

I wonder if you would be calling out for original characters if a white guy was going to play Superman.

Yes. I've wanted a Cyborg solo movie for a while. But instead of getting that or another original black hero, we get a reskinned Superman and we're supposed to be happy about it? Its dumb, lazy, and insulting.

 

[writer0327]

I ain't waiting 40 years bald man. If Supes remains white then cool, if he is black then hell yeah, if he is of any other race/background I'm all game for that, you Supe fans have plenty of other forms in which Supes looks like what you want, this news has me:

Wait 40 years for what?

 

[dhandler01]

I wonder if you would be calling out for original characters if a white guy was going to play Superman.

I always used to hear at my comic store about how it was wrong to race swap (or gender swap) and how they should create new characters. Then the comic companies would, no one would buy them because they weren't "established enough" and often the comics went away. Of course the same people also whined about all the "events" and how they wanted more character driven stories, they got them, and they never bought them because they bought the events instead. Manhunter being the best example. (and DC listened, rescinded its cancellation and people STILL didn't buy it so it got cancelled again)

 

[Black Narcissus]

Yes. I've wanted a Cyborg solo movie for a while. But instead of getting that or another original black hero, we get a reskinned Superman and we're supposed to be happy about it? Its dumb, lazy, and insulting.

You also don't gotta watch it.

 

[Detective Conan]

Do we have any proof that Clark will get race-swapped? Because there’s no evidence of this that I can find. It’s only been confirmed we’re likely getting a black Superman, and but there other options than simply Clark. They could use Calvin Ellis or Val-Zod or heck even make up a new original Kryptononian character for their black Superman.

Regardless, I think some people here are way, way too triggered at the prospect of a made up, fictional alien who canonically isn’t even part of the human race anyway coincidentally looking like a black human person, instead of a caucasian human for once, and it’s kind of funny as hell to see.

 

[writer0327]

You also don't gotta watch it.

I don't have to do a lot of stuff. What's the point of even saying that?

 

[dhandler01]

Do we have any proof that Clark will get race-swapped? Because there’s no evidence of this that I can find. It’s only been confirmed we’re likely getting a black Superman, and but there other options than simply Clark. They could use Calvin Ellis or Val-Zod or heck even make up a new original Kryptononian character for their black Superman.

Regardless, I think some people here are way, way too triggered over at the prospect of a made up, fictional alien who canonically isn’t even part of the human race anyway coincidentally looking like a black human person, instead of a caucasian human for once, and it’s kind of funny as hell to see.

There isnt even really any evidence a Black Superman will be in the film. A few people on Twitter are using the fact that Coates is Black and that MBJ wanted to make a Black Superman film 2 years ago and running with it.

(for the record I think there will be a Black Clark but there is no real evidence of it)

I find it kind of funny that for years people have wanted things like the DCAU in the DC films and they are getting a guy who loved the DCAU to possibly write Superman but that isnt good enough because he grew up a Marvel guy. (as did most people his age which is why Marvel dominates the market share) The internet is awesome

 

[Black Narcissus]

I don't have to do a lot of stuff. What's the point of even saying that?

Because the obvious solution to your problem is the simplest, but we both know where this leads. Lawd. I have no ill intended in my comments, just always makes me laugh. I will have to return this steak tho, tis' filled with salt. I'd like a brand new fresh order, make it a bit more darker, sir.

 

[writer0327]

I find it kind of funny that for years people have wanted things like the DCAU in the DC films and they are getting a guy who loved the DCAU to possibly write Superman but that isnt good enough because he grew up a Marvel guy. (as did most people his age which is why Marvel dominates the market share) The internet is awesome

How was his BP run? That's more of an indicator of his quality as a comic storyteller, not what he likes watching.