Comics DC

Here's What Michael B. Jordan Would Look Like As Superman

Michael B. Jordan Getty Images
By Mike Floorwalker

And now for something completely awesome.

Graphic artist Daniel Savage thinks that the ultra-talented Michael B. Jordan would make a fine Man of Steel for Warner Brothers and DC, and to illustrate his point, he recently posted a fantastic workup of the star as Big Blue to his Instagram account. Now, it stands to reason that Jordan wouldn't necessarily be stepping into the same role previously filled by Henry Cavill in the DC Extended Universe, which we'll get into shortly. But first, feast your eyes on this image, which seems specifically engineered to set the hearts of Super-fans aflutter.

As Savage pointed out, there has been speculation around Jordan as Superman ever since Deadline broke the news late last year that Cavill would not be returning to the role. Their report casually dropped the tidbit that Warner Brothers was intent on taking the character in a whole new direction in the future, and that the studio was considering casting Jordan in the part "down the road." This speculation quickly began to focus on Val-Zod, who in the pages of DC comics is the Superman of Earth Two. 

For an actor of Jordan's range and depth, this would actually make quite a bit of sense. In that alternate timeline, Val-Zod is a bit of a tragic character, escaping Krypton's imminent destruction along with Kal-El, Kara Zor-El — who would go on to become Supergirl — and another child after the execution of his parents by an authoritarian court of law. On his long journey to Earth, he was indoctrinated with his parents' pacifist leanings, making him quite reluctant to use his power to impose his will on others, no matter how noble his motivations. Eventually, though, the mantle of Superman was thrust upon him, as he was forced to defeat a brainwashed, corrupted Kal-El in battle, thereafter dedicating himself to protecting the Earth from the forces of Apokolips.

The actor himself weighed in on the rumors last year, although he had a slightly different idea about which version of the character he'd like to take on. Appearing on Oprah Winfrey's OWN talk show, Jordan acknowledged that he had heard the whispers, calling the idea "flattering and very humbling," but conceding that the role would come with a fair amount of baggage. "It's tough, you know why? Because I hate being a businessman also, and like, understanding both sides of the situation. And I think there's a huge upside to it, but then there's being under that microscope, just being picked apart and compared to so many different versions of Superman," he said. "I would rather do something original. But... I'll be Calvin Ellis. You know, there's another version of Superman, from Earth 23."

Mr. Jordan knows his stuff. Val-Zod isn't the only alternate version of the iconic hero who is closer in appearance to Jordan, and whose characterization would be a fantastic match for his formidable acting chops. Calvin Ellis is indeed the Kal-El of Earth 23, and not only is he the Superman of his world, he also happens to be the president of the United States, operating not out of the Fortress of Solitude but the White House. The character of Ellis, co-created by legendary comics scribe Grant Morrison in 2009, was actually based in part on president Barack Obama and has helped maintain order in the DC Multiverse by joining forces with, and occasionally standing in opposition to, various Supermen of other realities.

Should the DCEU choose to go the route of explicitly introducing alternate universes, the narrative device could serve as a slam-dunk explanation for the presence of various iterations of different characters, which we're already starting to see. For example, following Jared Leto's one-and-done turn as the Joker in 2016's Suicide Squad, the forthcoming feature Joker — due to hit screens later this year — will offer a decidedly different take on the character, with Joaquin Phoenix taking on the role of the Clown Prince of Crime as he transitions from failed comedian Arthur Fleck to the murderously insane criminal mastermind we all know and love.

In addition, we have director Matt Reeves' upcoming The Batman, which will give us a version of the Dark Knight completely separate from the one portrayed by Ben Affleck in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and Justice League. Reeves' film will feature a much younger Batman, with a noir-influenced story that will lean heavily on the character's detective skills, a side of ol' Bats which has long been established in comics canon, but which has yet to be done justice on the big screen.

It seems like it would be a smart move going forward for the DCEU to lean heavily on the alternate universe angle as a means to offer inventive, exciting takes on their iconic properties without negating the films which have come before. Seen through this lens, the notion of casting Jordan as one iteration or another of the Man of Steel not only makes perfect sense, but starts to look like a stroke of genius.

Mr. Savage may be a bit ahead of the game on this one, because for now, this is all just speculation. But hey, we can dream — and if Jordan as the ultimate champion of truth, justice, and the American way isn't dream casting, then we don't know what is.

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