Warner Bros. Canceled Black Superman For Being ‘Too Woke’ — Could It Return Under DC’s Elseworlds Label?

Warner Bros. dropped the Black Superman movie after years of buzz—but could DC’s Elseworlds label still save it?

- July 12, 2025 | 2:46 PM IST

Warner Bros. Scrapped Black Superman Movie Due To Politics ( Photo Credit – Facebook )

Warner Bros. pulled the plug on the Black Superman movie. This shocking and surprising development comes after David Corenswet recently stepped into the cape in James Gunn’s new DC Universe. His version of Superman is already doing well in theaters by beating box office expectations and heading toward profitability.

Now, while this fresh take is off to a strong start, another version of the character didn’t make it past the planning stage.

Why was Black Superman Dropped?

The canceled project would have reimagined Superman as a Black hero set during the civil rights era. Ta-Nehisi Coates was writing it, with J.J. Abrams on board as producer. However, when David Zaslav took control of Warner Bros. Discovery in 2022, he shut it down.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Zaslav considered the project too politically loaded and “too woke” and decided it did not align with the new direction he wanted for the studio. While the film’s cancellation was old news to some, the Netflix debut of other DC projects brought fresh attention to its absence.

Details on Ta-Nehisi Coates’ black #Superman movie

• David Zaslav dismissed the script as too woke

• Focused on the character during the civil rights era

• James Gunn can still try to make the movie in the future

(via @WSJ) pic.twitter.com/NJ22M6Pazh

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) July 11, 2025

Could Black Superman Still Happen Under DC Studios

Even though the original version won’t be moving forward, the latest update suggests there is still a slim path for the concept. The DC ship, now being steered by James Gunn and Peter Safran, have introduced the “Elseworlds” label, which is meant for standalone stories outside the main timeline, per Screenrant. This gives a little breathing room for ideas like a civil rights-era Superman to exist without clashing with the main franchise.

However, it is clear the priority has shifted. With Abrams’ other DC efforts already scrapped and Corenswet’s Superman taking center stage, there’s little momentum left behind the Black Superman film. If it does happen one day, it will need a completely new push from Gunn’s DC Studios. As for now, it is another ambitious idea left behind while the studio focuses on its rebooted future.