the dc universe Feb. 26, 2021

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s … Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Superman Reboot!

Portrait of Devon Ivie

By Devon Ivie, a staff writer covering classic rock and TV

Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP/Shutterstock

Ta-Nehisi Coates, a man who once told this very outlet that he’s not a fan of the DC universe and feels generally lukewarm about its main superhero, is writing a Superman film reboot for Warner Bros. As first reported by Shadow and Act, the film, which has “no plot yet and no attachments,” will be produced by J.J. Abrams and is reportedly going to be set up as “a Black Superman story” for the studio. “I look forward to meaningfully adding to the legacy of America’s most iconic mythic hero,” Coates told Shadow and Act in a statement. A former national correspondent for The Atlantic, Coates has rapidly risen in literary culture over the past several years: His debut novel, Between the World and Me, won the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction and made him a Pulitzer finalist, and he subsequently wrote critically adored Black Panther and Captain America comics for Marvel. Oh yeah, and Between the World and Me was so good that it got its own HBO adaptation with Oprah, who could probably play Superman if she wanted.

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It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Superman!

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