Michael B. Jordan is a busy man. Not only is he the star of the potential franchise-starter Without Remorse (out on Friday on Amazon), and not only is he currently filming a drama directed by Denzel Washington, but he’s also poised to make his directorial debut on Creed 3, in which he’ll also star. Oh, and everyone wants him to be the next Superman.
Jordan is no stranger to superheroes or comic books. He’s a self-professed fan and gave us one of the best MCU villains to date as Kilmonger in Black Panther, and now he’s producing his own superhero movie in an adaptation of Static Shock for Warner Bros. and DC Films. The movie will feature Virgil Hawkins, a young Black man who gains electric powers after an interaction with a radioactive substance.
So when Collider’s own Steve Weintraub spoke with Jordan at the Without Remorse press day, he asked the actor and producer how things were going on Static Shock, and Jordan revealed that he was inspired by Static Shock as a kid:
“Right now we have a writer, Randy McKinnon, who's putting together take and a draft right now, really excited ... I mean, again, as a kid growing up, watching Static Shock, it was something that inspired me. And had that type of representation at a young age, it was really important to me. And I know it would be important to a lot of other kids today. So to be able to adapt the live-action version of that, I'm really, really excited about. So no real timelines, and I guess no real updates or anything like that. But we're in the process of building that out. And I can't wait to have something more to tell you guys later.”
Speaking of superheroes, rumors have swirled that Jordan met with Warner Bros. about potentially playing Superman in a new movie. Recently it was revealed that Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing a new take on Superman with J.J. Abrams producing, so Steve asked Jordan if there was any truth to the notion of him taking on the iconic character:
“I mean, I'm flattered that I keep coming up in conversation in these rumors to play characters like that. I mean, as you know, I've been rumored to play so many different characters over the years. I mean, at this point, it's flattering, I'm humbled by it. And whoever ends up stepping into that role, it's definitely one to look for.”
So it doesn’t sound like Jordan will be playing Superman at this time. If Without Remorse is a hit he’ll have his hands full with that project, and no doubt directing Creed 3 is going to take up the next two years of his life. So if Warner Bros. does want to prioritize this Superman movie, it’s unlikely that Jordan is available.
But who knows. Maybe in five or 10 years we’ll see Jordan as the Man of Steel after all. Stay tuned for our full interview with Jordan on Collider soon.