The Rock Thinks We'll See A Black Superman In Movies

By Simon Gallagher / July 16, 2019

Dwayne The Rock Johnson is already sort of playing Superman in an upcoming DC comic book movie, in his own words. He's just edgier and has a different backstory and is called Black Adam. But if The Rock wants him to be Superman, you better believe Hollywood will be listening to him.

But now he's made a more direct reference to playing Superman in conversation with Variety during Hobbs & Shaw's world premiere that will have you wishing he was just playing the new Man Of Steel more specifically.

The set-up came thanks to Hobbs & Shaw's villain Brixton Lore - an absolutely incredible name you should read at least six or seven times for full effect - who is played by Idris Elba and calls himself "Black Superman" because he's basically an actual superhuman. The Variety interview used that as a launching point for Johnson to discuss the possibility of there being a black Superman in a future movie and inclusivity in superhero movies more overtly:

"I think they're doing great. I think, obviously Marvel has done a tremendous job in building out. And also, you know, for me, DC, we're doing Black Adam with Warner Bros. and DC. We're very excited about that. So, I think, you know, as everything builds and grows, and you take the temperament of society and what's happening, and I think here in Hollywood... especially with franchises and characters and publicly traded companies who are sensitive to that sort of thing. So yeah, I think they're doing a great job.
"Maybe one day we will see a Black Superman... You're looking at him."

Of course it's a cheeky reference, but boy it'd be great.

The comics already have precedent set for a black Superman - not that it should matter as a necessity anyway - with Val-Zod of Earth 2 and Calvin Ellis of Earth 23. You know, just in case some babies complain about the suggestion.

For now, it's one stuck in the realms of fantasy, because of Black Adam, but we can all dream wistfully, can't we?