Ta-Nehisi Coates confirms reports that he'll be writing the newly announced Superman reboot by sharing the original 1978 movie logo on social media. Revealed today, the new Superman movie coming from producer J.J. Abrams will reportedly be a reboot, though there is no star or director attached to the project yet. The announcement also confirmed that journalist, author, and comic books scribe, Coates, would be penning the script. This script would be just his second after writing the screenplay for Black Panther director, Ryan Coogler's upcoming drama, Wrong Answer, which stars Michael B. Jordan.
Coates is a well-known comics fan, and has written for Black Panther and Captain America, though he'll be making the jump to DC for this one. Besides writing Wrong Answer, Coates' screen work is limited, with his major credit being a producer of HBO's Between The World and Me, which is based on his non-fiction book of the same name. Coates is one of the foremost writers in America, known for writing about political, cultural, and social issues that affect the country, particularly social justice for the black population and how white supremacy affects young black men and women.
Now, Coates has taken to social media to personally confirm his involvement in the Superman reboot. Just after the news was announced, Coates posted an image of the 1978 Superman movie logo, accompanied by the caption, "Though I’m way overdue, I’d be starting anew...” —Nina Simone.' The words are lyrics from the song "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" by Simone, which was written by Billy Taylor and Dick Dallas. Coates also updated his bio, linking to the original announcement about the movie and confirming his involvement. You can see the post below:
The post is not only a celebration of his new job, but could also be a hint at the tone Coates will take for the reboot. The original movie is famously all about hope for the future, in stark contrast to Man of Steel, the most recent solo Superman movie, which was a much darker and introspective take on the character. By posting this logo, could Coates be revealing that he'll take Superman back to those hopeful, aspirational roots.
Besides that hint, it's almost certain that the new Superman movie will introduce a black man of steel. This could mean Jordan will be considered for the role, which is likely after the actor himself pitched a black version of the superhero to DC a few years ago before being turned down. Could the studio have changed their mind? The fact that Coates is working on a movie with Jordan and Coogler could even be a sign that the duo, who collaborate regularly, might be hired as a director-star team to lead the project forward with Coates and Abrams.
Source: Ta-Nehisi Coates
