Ta-Nehisi Coates' 'Superman' reportedly won't be directed by J.J. Abrams or part of DCEU

 Now, THR is tackling the question of who will serve as director:

"Sources say J.J. Abrams, who is producing the film, is not among the many possibilities being considered. When Warners announced in February that celebrated author Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing the screenplay and Abrams is producing, it did not address the matter of helming. But insiders say Warners and DC are committed to hiring a Black director to tackle what will be the first cinematic incarnation of Superman featuring a Black actor, with one source adding that putting Abrams at the helm would be 'tone-deaf.'"

And where this untitled Superman installment fits—or rather, doesn't fit—in the DC Extended Universe:

"The Superman film appears to be moving onto its own track and won’t be part of the universe, as of now. Sources tell THR that Coates is crafting a Kal-El in the vein of the original Superman comics and will have the protagonist hail from Krypton and come to Earth. While the story is currently being crafted and many details could change, one option under consideration is for the film to be a 20th century period piece."

Mystery still surrounds the question of who the first Black Superman will be, and that conversation was stoked last week by Michael B. Jordan's repeatedly dismissing rumors that his number will be called:

The expectations are sky high for Coates's screenplay due to the acclaimed and impactful works he has already written, including Black Panther and Captain America series for Marvel Comics. 

The National Book Award winner published three nonfiction books—The Beautiful Struggle (2008), Between the World and Me (2015) and We Were Eight Years in Power (2017)—before diving into fiction with The Water Dancer (2019). His debut novel is being adapted by Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt via MGM.