Why make Clark Kent Black when there’s already a Black Superman?

The Man of Steel will be returning to the big screen once again, but this time, the folks behind the film are looking to tap a Black actor to portray the iconic hero.  A Black Superman? Yes. It’s time to see a black Superman on the big screen. Representation is important, and while we’ve been seeing it, more needs to be done.  But that’s a conversation for another day.

But if producers are looking for a black actor to portray superman, but will he be based on an actual Black Superman figure from the comics or will he be a Black Clark Kent?  Clark Kent’s story has been shown on screen since the 1940s.  It’s safe to say, it’s time for another to take over the mantle.  Why make Clark Kent Black when there are Black versions of Superman that can be used?

WB has tapped Ta-Nehisi Coates to pen the script for this upcoming film. The author of several critically acclaimed  books including We Were Eight Years in Power and Between the World and Me, Coates also written several recent comics arcs for Marvel, including Captain America and Black Panther.

Everyone is “woke” these days which is great, but making Clark Kent Black isn’t helping the culture, it’s hurting it. Especially when there are other characters can be used to better effect in the story. Here are a few of our ideas

Calvin Ellis: The most mainstream Black Superman

A superhero and a president?  Couldn’t ask for a better version of Superman.  During an event in 2008 then-president, Barack Obama made a joke about being sent from Krypton to save the earth. It may have been a joke, but the offhand comment inspired comic book writer Grant Morrison to create a Black Superman based on him. Calvin Ellis isn’t the first Black man to carry the Superman title, but he’s the most popular.

Making his appearance in 2009’s Final Crisis, not only is he president of Earth-23, Ellis leads a diverse Justice League and their mission is to protect the entire multiverse.  Members of the team include Nubia who’s Wonder Woman’s twin, as well as Vixen, Black Lightning, The Guardian, Mister Miracle, and Green Lantern.

Icon: A fan favorite and it’s easy to see why

When it was announced a Black Superman would be featured in the upcoming WB reboot, the one fans wanted to see most was Icon, and for good reason.  Created by Dwayne McDuffie and M. D. Bright, Icon made his appearance in 1993’s Icon #1. An alien from another planet, he’s not human in his natural form.  But after landing on earth, he took the appearance of the Black woman who found him, thus making him appear as a 1940s Black man.

Not aging past adulthood, Icon takes the name of his deceased son Augustus Freeman.  Always aware of his superpowers, he still barely used them until someone breaks into his home.  Caught in the act by teenager Raquel Ervin, she convinces him to become a hero for the Black kids of Dakota City.

Icon is also different from other black superheroes because he’s depicted as a conservative Republican.  Milestone co-creator Derek Dingle told ComicBook in 2017, he wanted Icon to be a Republican to show diversity among other Milestone comic heroes.

Steel: The most hardcore Superman

The Iron Superman and probably the most hardcore of them all, Steel’s hard exterior didn’t keep him from going through his fair share of trouble.  As a character, he hasn’t been featured much since the 90s, but we know heroes are rebirthed all the time and Steel is one we’re waiting for.

Making his way to the DC universe in 1993s Death of Superman, John Henry Irons takes over the Superman mantle after his fellow Man of Steel is killed by Doomsday.  A human who doesn’t have the same abilities as Kryptonians, Steel uses his genius intellect to build a high-tech armor suit paired with a sledgehammer.  His name – and character – is a nod to the Black American folk hero John Henry, who was known as a “steel-driving man”.

A live-action film based on Steel starring NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal was released in 1997.  Unfortunately, it failed. Panned by critics and fans, it’s been largely erased from everyone’s memory, which means it’s a good time for a remake. With everything else getting rebooted or remade, why not give, this super-genius a chance instead of continually making films based on Clark Kent?

Val-Zod: The last Kryptonian

The last Kryptonian and the second superman on Earth-2, Val-Zod has big shoes to fill. Like other versions of Superman, Val-Zod was put in a pod and sent to Earth.  But being trapped in the pod too long left him agoraphobic and afraid of the outside world.  After getting over his fear the moment Val-Zod steps outside, he absorbs his powers from the earth’s sun.

This version of Superman is still fairly new, first appearing in 2014. There’s still a lot that creators can add to his backstory, so while we’d love to see him onscreen it may be too early in the character’s overall development.

Superman of Earth-D

While not much is known about this version of Superman, it would give writers a chance to create a fresh storyline on the character without any expectations or rules.

Here’s what we do know: Superman of Earth-D appeared in Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths.  Unlike Clark Kent, who is the cousin of Supergirl, Kal-El of Earth- D is married to Supergirl, a Black Kryptonian.  His crime-fighting Justice League features a Brazilian Green Lantern and Native American Green Arrow.

Which Superman are you hoping to see?  How do you feel about Clark Kent being race-swapped?