Michael B. Jordan downplays 'Superman' rumors: 'I'm just watching on this one'

By Megan Armstrong | Last updated 4/29/21

Michael B. Jordan will debut as the first Black actor to portray John Kelly/John Clark when Tom Clancy's Without Remorse hits Amazon Prime Video tomorrow (April 30), but he can't escape questions about whether he will next become the first Black Superman.

"It's smart of DC to grab Ta-Nehisi [Coates] to go ahead and adapt that project," Jordan told Neha Joy for The Hollywood Reporter. "He's incredibly talented. It's going to be worth checking out. I'm flattered that people have me in that conversation. It's definitely a compliment, but I'm just watching on this one."

Joy provided more context:

"Acclaimed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates is penning a Superman script for J.J. Abrams and Warner Bros. It's a film that sources previously told THR will center on a Black Superman. Sources noted Jordan tried to develop a Black Superman movie in 2019 when he began his deal at Warner Bros. The actor and producer also has ties to Coates, as the writer's run on the Black Panther comics helped convince Disney's Bob Iger to greenlight the film, which saw Jordan play the villain Killmonger."

Jordan, 34, similarly (politely) rebuffed Superman rumors in other interviews earlier this week:

So, there's that.

While fans will continue to chatter and rumors will assuredly swirl, Without Remorse can at least temporarily satisfy the demand for Jordan. The action thriller, adapted from Clancy's novel, serves as the origin story for how John Kelly became the John Clark character in the Jack Ryan Universe.