Summary
- DC Universe co-head James Gunn confirms that J.J. Abrams' Superman Elseworlds film is still in development.
- As of the last update for the movie, J.J. Abrams is set to produce, with Coates set to write.
- News of the movie first broke in 2021, far before the announcement of a DCU reboot, so it was unclear if the project was still moving forward.
The Elseworlds Superman: Legacy, with David Corenswet as the Man of Steel. However, on the Elseworlds front, there is the Black Superman movie that Abrams and Coates have been working on for a few years.
The Superman: Legacy movie cast is getting ready to start principal photography in March, as they were initially set to start filming at the start of the year, but were delayed due to the 2023 Hollywood Strikes. However, as the first DC Universe movie is entering the final stages of pre-production, Gunn gave an update on Abrams' Superman film over on Threads.
When Gunn was asked by NickTiznado if "is that Abrams Superman Elseworld[s] project still in development," Gunn responded with a simple "Yes." To this point, Abrams himself has not talked about the Black Superman movie, even after the launch of DC Studios.
All 5 Confirmed DC Elseworlds Movies (So Far)
As well as unveiling a new slate of projects for the DCU, James Gunn revealed that separate stories would still be developed as Elseworlds projects.
Everything We Know About J.J. Abrams’ Superman Movie
Abrams' Superman movie project was revealed all the way back in February 2021, meaning it will have almost been three years since the initial announcement. In February 2021, it was revealed that Warner Bros. was looking to focus on a Black version of Krypton's last son. Abrams would be producing the movie through his Bad Robot production company, and the goal was to find a Black director to helm it.
While few story details have emerged about the Black Superman film, the project would still focus on Kal-El, a.k.a. Clark Kent. At one point, the Elseworlds story would center on Clark in the 20th century, but it's unclear if that is still the direction in Coates' script, which was reportedly turned in back in 2022. During the shake-ups with the DC brand at Warner Bros. Discovery in late 2022, the Black Superman movie was still said to be in active development before Gunn revealed in an update in May 2023 that he hadn't read the script for it yet.
In 2021, it was reported that Warner Bros. may cast an unknown as the lead in the Black Superman movie.
Given the Elseworlds angle, it would be interesting to see a new take on Superman alongside Corenswet's iteration in the DC Universe. With Elseworlds being able to take the story in various directions, time will tell what becomes of the movie. Hopefully, as 2024 progresses forward, more details will emerge about the secondary Superman film and how it fits into DC Studios' Elseworlds plans.
Source: James Gunn/Threads
