Something I’ve been musing about for awhile…here’s the setup: you’re casting the lead role in a Superman movie, and you’ve just happened to decide to have him be played by a black actor. Who do you pick, to represent the champion of Truth, Justice, and the American Way?
The rules?
You can choose a contemporary actor, or one who’s currently too old/dead, but would have worked “in their prime.” (Maybe your movie is actually being made in the past, or they’re resurrecting your star with CGI.)
Not Will Smith or Denzel Washington. Everyone always goes for Will or Denzel in “what if” castings, and I’m sick of it.
So…my picks?
I’m going to be weird and nominate Joe Morton, back in the day, with Carl Weathers as a backup.
As for contemporary actors…well, everyone else is going to say Idris Elba, so I’m going to say Peter Mensah, just to be contrary.
So…anyone else have any favorites for the Last Son of Krypton?
Some of the offerings have been too beefy, IMO - I’d rather go with one built like the current canon Supermen (both main Earth and the one based on Obama) - the Rock and Crews, especially. Others just don’t have the right look, IMO. Elba could work, too, but I think Ejiofor looks more Supermanny, IMO.
Terry Crews is closer than most but still not quite it. Superman has to have very strong, very chiseled features- he has to look noble. This statue is the closest image I’ve found to what I envision:
As I said in the other thread, I think Michael Ealy could do it. Watching him in Almost Human, I think he could do the ‘whimsey’ of Clark Kent, and still carry the gravitas of Superman.
