Hollywood regularly announces projects that never reach audiences. Even when well-known figures are involved, some films are quietly canceled. The Black Superman movie from Warner Bros. Discovery is a recent example. Announced in 2021, the project featured Ta-Nehisi Coates as the screenwriter and J.J. Abrams as producer. Many expected that Abrams’ involvement would ensure the film moved forward. However, new details have emerged about why Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav decided to end the project.
A report from The Wall Street Journal states that Zaslav considered the screenplay “too woke.” The film was designed as a standalone story set during the American civil rights era. Although this version was shelved, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has said that if Coates writes a strong enough script, the project could “absolutely happen” as an “Elseworlds tale like Joker.”
Our Review: James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Delivers Hope, Action, & Timeless Heroism
DC’s Elseworlds label is reserved for stories that exist outside the main DC Universe, such as The Batman and its sequel. The canceled Superman project began before Warner Bros. merged with Discovery. After the merger, Zaslav took charge of several key decisions, including this one.
At the same time, another Black Superman project was in development. Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society was working on a limited series for HBO Max, focusing on Val-Zod, an alternate Superman from Earth-2, with Darnell Metayer and Josh Peters as writers. This series also started before the merger and was dropped during the company’s restructuring, as Gunn and Peter Safran took over as co-CEOs of DC Studios.
During the promotion of Creed III, Michael B. Jordan was frequently asked if he would play Superman. While the Abrams and Coates film was still in development, fans speculated online about Jordan taking the role. Jordan showed interest in producing the HBO Max series, but it was never confirmed if he intended to star in it. Both projects were ultimately shelved, with the Coates film reportedly deemed “too woke” to proceed.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. and DC Studios have released Gunn’s Superman, which has received positive reviews and is expected to perform well at the box office. The success of this film could prompt the studio to revisit some previously canceled or delayed Superman projects. This cancellation may also help explain why outlets like Variety and other mainstream entertainment press were promoting the narrative that Warner Bros.’ new Superman movie was “woke” and political, despite evidence to the contrary. Once the movie hit the big screen and none of those politics were actually in the movie, some speculated that there is an anti-David Zaslav mentality in Hollywood that inspired the attempted sabotage.
Doesn’t matter. Superman had a spectacular opening, with the best of the year previews, topping Lilo & Stitch’s $14.5 million and also beating A Minecraft Movie, which opened with a 2025-best $162.7 million after earning $10.55 million from previews. So the sky’s the limit for the man of steel, and looks to dominate cinemas – at least until Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in theaters, and even then it might still come out on top.
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