Micheal B Jordan Val Zod Superman Hbo Max limited series in the works
 

Michael B. Jordan and his production company Outlier Society are developing their own Black Superman project for HBO Max that centers on the Val-Zod incarnation of the character, Collider has exclusively learned.

Sources say that Outlier Society has hired a writer who is currently working on the script, though we were unable to ascertain their identity. It's unclear whether the Val-Zod project will be a movie or a limited series, but either way, Jordan will produce and he may even star, though he has yet to officially commit on the latter front.

As previously reported, J.J. Abrams and his company Bad Robot are set to produce a Black Superman movie for Warner Bros. that is expected to follow the Kal-El/Clark Kent version of the character. Though Clark Kent is traditionally depicted as white in the DC comics, the character will be played by a Black actor in the Bad Robot movie, which will likely be directed by a Black filmmaker, as Abrams is simply expected to produce. Author and cultural critic Ta-Nehisi Coates is already hard at work on the script for that project.



While Jordan did work with Warner Bros. on developing a Black Superman movie at one point, he recently shot down rumors that he would star in Abrams' new film, saying "I’m flattered that people have me in that conversation. It’s definitely a compliment, but I’m just watching on this one.”

The question is, why?

A recent editorial penned by Jamie Broadnax for Black Girl Nerds provides some context and prompted Collider to do some digging, as Broadnax's sources told her that "Jordan has not wanted to engage in conversations about racebending Kal-El for the same reasons many of the fans are pushing back on the current Warner Bros. re-imagined version of Clark Kent, but that he would be interested in engaging on a Black Superman project centering on the Val-Zod storyline."

The distinction is an important one, particularly within the Black community, as Broadnax explained how it would be tone-deaf of Warner Bros. and DC to 'racebend a white character and erase Black characters that already exist in the DC universe under the Superman banner — Calvin Ellis and Val-Zod.'

She has a valid point. If there are two perfectly good Black Supermen, why would Abrams' big-budget Black Superman movie follow the white version of the character? Is it simply because Clark Kent is better known within the realm of pop culture? We may never know the answer, but what is clear is that Jordan wasn't into that idea, and now he's developing his own Superman project, albeit for WB's sister streamer, HBO Max.


“It’s important for people to see themselves in roles that they normally wouldn’t see. What that does to the next generation, to a kid or somebody that didn’t think that is something that they could achieve — now they’re thinking about it and daydreaming about it," Jordan told the Hollywood Reporter back in April while promoting Without Remorse.

Val-Zod is the Superman from Earth 2, where he is one of the last Kryptonians, and the second to assume the mantle of Superman. The character was orphaned after his parents were executed by Krypton's high court, though he was found on Earth 2 by Terry Sloan, who offered the young alien asylum to "protect" him from the outside world. Ellis, on the other hand, is the Superman of Earth 23, where he is the President of the United States.

Outlier Society's feature credits include Without Remorse, Just Mercy, the HBO movie Fahrenheit 451, and Denzel Washington's upcoming drama A Journal for Jordan, which finds MBJ playing a military man who, in the event that he is killed in action, writes a journal for his son teaching him how to live a decent life despite growing up without a father. Sony will release the film on Dec. 22 and it is expected to be an awards contender this year.

Jordan is currently prepping his directorial debut, Creed III, while also developing a Static Shock movie for Warner Bros. and a remake of The Thomas Crown Affair for MGM and the Russo brothers' AGBO banner. Jordan is represented by WME, M88 and Ziffren Brittenham, and representatives for both the actor-producer and HBO Max did not respond to requests for comment.

https://collider.com/michael-b-jorda...l-zod-hbo-max/

Collider
@Collider
Update: Sources have since reached out to clarify that
@MichaelB4Jordan
's Black Superman project about Val-Zod is, in fact, being written as a limited series for HBO Max.

Well at least he's not Clark Kent. And while I like Michael B. Jordan, still have no real interest in seeing a black Superman anyway.

"I'm out."

Bad Robot?
So JJ ruined Star Wars, Star Trek and now he will ruin Superman?
Gee..this guy wants to get an achievement every notable cultural icon?

I wonder if this will shut up all the people who have been screaming that it should be Val-Zod or whether their problem was actually something else.

Episode 7 and Star Trek '09 were decent if unspectacular movies which did the job reviving the 'classic' versions of those properties. He's not a sequel guy and should never be put on one but he's a safe if uninspired choice to try and bring (a version of) Superman back to prominence.

nah, most of them are closet racists.

Man a Static Shock movie would be pretty neat, not holding my breath on it ever actually happening though.

I think this will change Abram’s plan. Prob doesn’t want to compete Black Supermen with Michael B. Jordan.

Everyone, everywhere: "Hey, WB... do something with Henry Cavill's Superman, please."
WB: "Nah. We'll give you a hundred things you never asked for before we give you the one thing you are asking for."

F*ck WB.

JJ has been wanting to get his hacky little mitts on Superman for about 15 years now.

Other than the very cliche "corrupt starfleet, make-the-bad-guy-one-of-the-heroes-guys" plot, Beyond was a pretty good flick! Sort of like that really high quality yet generic popcorn flick.

Beyond was probably the very best anyone that anyone not named JJ Abrams (by that I mean it actually having the potential to not be bad) could do with the "Kelvin universe"/JJ crew. But by its very nature it was hamstringed out of the gate, and by then everyone was already burned out by the explosions and supervillains of the first two. It's really surprising people think there's an audience for a fourth.

I'd be down with a Static Shock flick for sure! Not giving a dollar to this woke $#!( though.