• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

THR: JJ Abrams' Superman Won't Be Part of the DCEU Universe, Will Feature a Black Kal-El

Billbofet

Member
I think the issue is that now if you don't like the movie, you are meant to feel bad or labelled as having wrong think. At least that is why I feel fans get so fired up over this stuff. And if it performs poorly it is everyone's fault but the people that made it.
 

kruis

Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
Isn't there anyone at WB/DC left who realizes that this woke madness is going to kill their
I think the issue is that now if you don't like the movie, you are meant to feel bad or labelled as having wrong think. At least that is why I feel fans get so fired up over this stuff. And if it performs poorly it is everyone's fault but the people that made it.

It makes the movie critic-proof to a large degree. That maybe also the reason why companies keep greenlighting these programs. Anyone who opposes a black Superman or black James Bond must be a bigot.
 
We do, he is an amazing writer.
I’m also noting the irony in someone calling out captain America for being ideological while talking about a comic book character called captain America...
Dude wrote Black panther but I never heard the ideology mongers cry 🤔
Coates is an amazing writer? To each his own, obviously. Of course this goes back to what I said earlier. The people who are going to cheerlead this are going to be people who are on board with the ideology.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
The main problem (for me) is announcing the race before any casting. So it's not like they had an open casting call for supes with a script that was race agnostic and this fresh black actor DESTROYED it.

Nope, I strongly suspect race will be a key story element.

Compare it to the Hannah actress getting Red Sonja. Perhaps she just auditioned that well. But announcing the casting without a "we are gonna have a non white Red Sonja" type virtue signal at least opens the possibility that the actress got the role based on merit and not because she checked enough boxes AND that the script allows for a range of races because it isn't DEPENDENT on race. We can only pray that we never even see RSs parents (who now will probably be interracial or mixed race themselves) so we won't have to sit through ANOTHER "daddy issues" origin story.
 

YCoCg

Gold Member
If they want people to be happy with a black Superman, then give us a white Black Panther
You can tell who doesn't follow the stories and just wants to chip in to complain about race.

1) Supes is DC, not Marvel, so they have no bearing on Black Panther
2) Bucky (Winter Soldier) has been growing into the role of White Wolf slowly over the years
 
They could cast a chinese man to play Jor-El. Or any other race, since race doesn't matter.
While we're at it, I think having every character speak english is kind of racist.

Here's my idea. Hire actors of multiple races (non white only, of course) from all over the world and have them speak in their native languages.
 

MayauMiao

Member
You can tell who doesn't follow the stories and just wants to chip in to complain about race.

1) Supes is DC, not Marvel, so they have no bearing on Black Panther
2) Bucky (Winter Soldier) has been growing into the role of White Wolf slowly over the years

1) Not about Supes being DC and not Marvel. I'm just tired how Hollywood and MSM is pushing face/gender to push a movie. Its tiring, and everyone can see that.

2) I am not aware of this White Wold Bucky since I don't subscribe Disney+
 

OmegaSupreme

advanced basic bitch
One weird thing. They are looking for a black director. JJ says it would be tone deaf for him to direct it. I'm sorry but what? A white person can no longer direct a film with a black lead?
 

Mobilemofo

Member
L7Rc1Ma.jpg


This will always be the best Superman. No musical set pieces no deal.
He looks...

Intense.. 😅
 

DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
I literally quoted the other person, not you.


I'm confused. Is it a different character or not? Is it the same one but from a different universe?

Because if he is a different character then my post about race-bending and your post about gatekeeping were completely pointless :messenger_grinning_sweat:

That's not my point!
I commented in PLAIN view that there are two other canon black Supermans in DC comics that they are probably choosing to adapt from. Both from alternate universes (and both have met Clark) ...

But y'all acting like they're replacing Clark ... They aren't.

Everything with you lot is "woke this" and "woke that" ... Before you've even SEEN the movie ... It just SEEMS like y'all have a problem with it for OTHER than creative reasons.
 

Furlong

Banned
It’s just another indication that this isn’t going to be a “Superman story” with a black lead. Superman being black is going to be the story.
It will probably be about slavery or something. They do love to winge about slavery. Should make for great night out at the cinema (y)
 

Azurro

Banned
Imagine wanting to get a job for a specific role but you can't do it because of the color of your skin. Nothing else, no limited physical activity note from a doctor, no disabilities that would stop you from doing that job, no extreme adjustments needed for you to do the job. Just the fact that people will get mad that you're black and will boycott your product.

Some of those people who will get mad that their favorite comic book character is now going to be played by a black man are in this thread.


Trigger warning, Superman has been played by an Indian and fucked Spidergirl. It's canon, deal with it.



Come and see Leonardo DiCaprio as Martin Luther King Jr in "I have a dream".

DiCaprio is a tremendous actor, I'm sure no one will complain. Race doesn't matter, right?
 
Come and see Leonardo DiCaprio as Martin Luther King Jr in "I have a dream".

DiCaprio is a tremendous actor, I'm sure no one will complain. Race doesn't matter, right?

There it is. You're comparing actual people to comic book characters made for children? I think if a movie is based on a real person they should do their best to get someone who looks and can talk/act like the person they're covering. Superheroes aren't real, so getting someone to look nearly identical to the character doesn't matter. I'm sure you have a huge issue with Passion of the Christ being a bunch of white dudes in the middle east.
 
J

JeremyEtcetera

Unconfirmed Member
This literally doesn't make any sense.

That's like saying that you could have made The Lord Of The Rings with Oprah Winfrey as Frodo and Jackie Chan as Legolas.
I'm imagining Jackie Chan flipping over elephants and using kung Fu against orcs and you're now selling me more on your concept.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Superman' s race has never been important for the character, so I'm 100% happy for a Black superman.
that's the reason why a white Black Panther or a white Shaft would NOT be okay, while a Black Batman would be some needed fresh air
You think a Alien that is the last of his kind who struggles to find his place in the world as he learns to harness his alien powers for good while keeping his secret and becomes a symbol of hope has nothing to do with race?
probably not the same sense your thinking, but yes it does play a big part in it.
I'm cool having a another Kryptonian and I'm cool with them being Black or whatever, just don't race swap iconic characters.
and don't go the whole "his struggles being a Black man" story line shit because I believe a Kryptonian would have bigger problems then the colour of their skin 🤔
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
LOTR movies are fun but let's be real, the acting and plot is pretty fucking bad
I'm SO GLAD LOTR came out pre social media. Imagine the RAGE at Liv Tyler's inclusion in the films in direct opposition to the source material. If only they had kept her at Helms Deep :p

So a lot of this is just bored internet ramblings, but there is certainly merit to the concern that checklist inclusion parameters don't help storytelling or the final product. It is stifling true creativity for new stories and dampening any desire to adapt authentic stories from POC voices because it is easier to spin off an established white IP than find a good POC one.
 

Jon Neu

Banned
We'll never know. The actual acting and delivery of the lines is awful and cringe.

Imaging saying this while unironically defending that Oprah Winfrey would have been a better Frodo than Elijah Wood. This is the level of discourse of the woke apologists.

Just for the sake of not wanting to admit that being respecftul of the source material it's actually really important. More important than the phony social pandering of a few.
 

FunkMiller

Member
So, I don't particularly have much of an issue with them making Clark a black dude. If there's a good story to be told, that can only be told with a black Kal-El, then I'm down for it.

However - I don't think for one second that the decision to make Kal-El black is one that is being led by the desire to tell an original and great story. It's most probably being done for purely cynical reasons, to cash in on the black lives matter movement. This is *deeply* fucking cynical.

It's the same mindset that gave us a terrible female Doctor Who. The change was not made to tell stories that would otherwise be impossible with a male in the role. It was simply done to appeal to a cross section of modern society and to push forward a particular agenda.

I will champion any project that makes gender or race changes, based on a desire to tell an original story, and if this movie does that, then great. But knowing how Warner Bros operate, I'm pretty sure they're doing this just to grab cash from a zeitgeisty thing. Bullshit.
 

Umbasaborne

Banned
Anyone who seethes about the race of Superman should have their Funko Pop collection taken away.
Agreed; i think its gonna be really cool to see a different take on that character, and its not replacing the extended universes superman as the article states, just as pattinson isn’t replacing batfleck, or pheonix didnt replacr letto’s canonical joker. I think its awesome that dc is taking risks and showing us different takes on beloved characters, anyone who says superman cant be black is just as silly as people who say bond has to be white
 

AgentP

Thinks mods influence posters politics. Promoted to QAnon Editor.
Just use some existing black characters or make new ones. Trying to appear woke by changing established characters is just sad. I hope the backlash is a bomb and loss, money talks.

Hollywood would never make a black character white or Asian and no one would support it, this is a double standard.
 
there is certainly merit to the concern that checklist inclusion parameters don't help storytelling or the final product. It is stifling true creativity for new stories and dampening any desire to adapt authentic stories from POC voices because it is easier to spin off an established white IP than find a good POC one.

Good point.

Whose acting and delivery of lines are you talking about here?

Everyone besides Gandalf.
 

ManaByte

Gold Member
I kinda came here to post that. Though he has better clips from this podcast of his. Youngrippa hits the nail on the head with this stuff. The clip below I feel is the real meat and potatoes of this.



For those that defend WB in this instance... please watch the Youngrippa videos.


Well he's right about Earth 2 being shit.
 
Ah the sequel to this thread:


Well, Superman is a Kryptonian. That is his race.

How he's ethnically represented shouldn't matter because he's a fictional character.
 

DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
So, I don't particularly have much of an issue with them making Clark a black dude. If there's a good story to be told, that can only be told with a black Kal-El, then I'm down for it.

However - I don't think for one second that the decision to make Kal-El black is one that is being led by the desire to tell an original and great story. It's most probably being done for purely cynical reasons, to cash in on the black lives matter movement. This is *deeply* fucking cynical.

It's the same mindset that gave us a terrible female Doctor Who. The change was not made to tell stories that would otherwise be impossible with a male in the role. It was simply done to appeal to a cross section of modern society and to push forward a particular agenda.

I will champion any project that makes gender or race changes, based on a desire to tell an original story, and if this movie does that, then great. But knowing how Warner Bros operate, I'm pretty sure they're doing this just to grab cash from a zeitgeisty thing. Bullshit.
It's probably going to be either ...

Val Zod

z2gO3oI.jpg


Or Calvin Ellis AKA KalEl (from Vathlo Island on Krypton)
xRqRt3J.jpg
 
Going back to the thread, I see people showing their asses.

The reason why casting a white man has black panther would not work is because Black panther is a character specifically written to be a person of African descent. Wakanda, as Christopher Priest imagined, is a pan-African creation symbolizing what Africa would be had it not been raped. t'challa goes to America and recruits a character personified as sister souljah to be something of a queen.

Y'all know any white radical black feminists?

And that's before getting into the lore of an adopted white character raised as T'challa's brother, and the subsequent rivalry for the mantle.

And that's just ONE example of how making black comic book characters white would not work.

And that's before having a conversation about the impetus behind changing the ethnic identity of minority characters.


Diversity, equity, and inclusion is the future. That's why these things are happening.
 
People saying this is woke aren’t really seeing what the deal is.
WB is a huge company who want to make money.
The cold hard truth is that they have probably done a fuck ton of focus testing, talking with marketing etc and come to the conclusion this is what will make them cash.
None of that has anything with any agendas or wokenizing to do. It’s all about them dollars.

Another cold hard truth is that it may very well suck.
WB handling of DC has a pitiful track record and I have yet to see why this would be any different.
 
Top Bottom