Warner Bros. is making waves with their upcoming Superman reboot, as the J.J. Abrams production is believed to be starring cinema’s first ever black Man of Steel. The thinking is that it won’t be Clark Kent in the suit this time around but an original character created for the screen. And it’s possible that this bold reimagining of one of DC’s biggest heroes won’t be the only one, as a new report is pointing to the studio working on a black Batman project, too.
Giant Freakin Robot has shared that their sources tell them that WB is developing yet another movie for the Dark Knight, but this time the man under the cape and cowl will be an African-American character. As this concept is still in the earliest stages by the sounds of it, the outlet is unable to say who it could be, but it’s easy to guess that this purported film has been inspired by contemporary DC comics.
As part of the Future State line relaunch, the latest Batman is Timothy “Jace” Fox, the estranged son of Lucius Fox, who’s taken up the Bat-mantle 20 years from now after the apparent death of Bruce Wayne. This origin might fall a little close to the Batman Beyond movie that’s in the works, though, so some changes might have to be made if Fox’s Bats really does end up getting his own vehicle.
Alternatively, there’s David Zavimbe, the Batman of Africa, who uses a powerful exoskeleton given to him by Wayne to fight crime and corruption in the fictional African nation of Mtamba. If DC goes with this option, you’d have to imagine that they’re looking for their answer to Marvel’s Black Panther. Still, whichever character this black Batman ends up being, the movie getting the go ahead likely depends on the success of the Abrams Superman flick, whenever that arrives.
In any case, it’s not like we’re going to be short on Dark Knight films as it is. Ben Affleck’s back for Zack Snyder’s Justice League, dropping next week, and 2022’s The Flash, while Robert Pattinson makes his debut in the role in The Batman next year.
