Warner Bros. Reportedly Shelved Black SUPERMAN Film for Being “Too Woke,” But DC Might Still Make It

As James Gunn’s Superman flies into theaters this weekend and officially kicks off the new DCU, a different Superman story has resurfaced.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav personally shelved a Black Superman movie written by acclaimed author Ta-Nehisi Coates.

This is the film that was being produced by J.J. Abrams and set during the American civil rights era. It was described by insiders as “too woke,” leading to its quiet dismissal back in 2022. For fans who’ve been wondering what happened to the once-promising project, this report provides an answer.

Before the Warner Bros. and Discovery merger, the studio was developing two separate Black Superman stories. One was Coates and Abrams’ theatrical feature, intended to be an alternate-universe period piece.

The other was an HBO Max limited series from Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society, centered on Val-Zod, a Superman variant from Earth-2. Writers Darnell Metayer and Josh Peters were brought on in 2021 to script the Jordan-led project, which also faded from view post-merger.

While Zaslav may have hit the brakes, the project isn't completely dead.

James Gunn, now co-CEO of DC Studios, has left the door open. He previously said that if Coates' screenplay is strong and the timing aligns, the film could “absolutely happen” as an Elseworlds story “like Joker.”

That Elseworlds label allows DC to explore stand-alone stories outside the core cinematic universe. So far, the only active title under that banner is The Batman – Part II, which won’t hit screens until October 1, 2027.

It’s unclear if DC will revisit either Black Superman project anytime soon, but the idea isn’t off the table anymore. And given the renewed attention on the Coates script, it’s possible we could see it resurrected down the line, especially if the new DCU continues to thrive creatively and financially.