John Boyega is no stranger to franchise films. As one of the main stars of the recent “Star Wars” sequel trilogy, the actor has proven himself capable of leading a major blockbuster, if needed. So, when he offers up his ideas for who should take on the upcoming role of Superman in the forthcoming film from producer J.J. Abrams and writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, he speaks from the point of view of an actor who has experienced that sort of pressure.
In a recent THR roundtable, where Boyega was joined by Jonathan Majors, Chris Rock, Josh O’Connor, and Regé-Jean Page, the topic of the new “Superman” film was brought up, which led Boyega to provide his dream casting for the lead role.
“I want brother Regé as Superman. Or Jonathan,” said Boyega. “I want one of you guys to just go in there and fly. Just someone with knotted hair, fly. [Laughter]”
Warner Bros. made news a few months ago, when it was revealed that Coates and Abrams were working together on a new “Superman” film, where it’s expected that the lead role of Clark Kent, aka the Man of Steel, would be played by a Black actor. So, while many fans are still holding out hope that Michael B. Jordan will suit up as Supes, it appears that Boyega thinks Majors and Page would both be great choices, as well.
While Page has yet to star in a superhero film yet, he was recently at the center of a casting controversy when it was revealed that he was turned down for a role as Superman’s grandfather in the Syfy series, “Krypton,” because of his race. And Majors hasn’t debuted in a superhero film either, but he is cast as Kang the Conquerer in the upcoming “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” for Marvel Studios.
READ MORE: Regé-Jean Page Is “Hurt” By Report He Was Denied ‘Krypton’ Role Because He’s Black
Boyega added, “Josh, I’d love to see you as a villain. And Chris, I’d love to see you as a villain also — something really dark and messed up.”
Of course, as Chris Rock points out later in the conversation, he did actually have a role in a “Superman” film, more than two decades ago. Back when Tim Burton was making his “Superman” film starring Nicolas Cage, Rock was cast as Jimmy Olsen. Now, the film lives on as a legend in almost-made superhero features.
No matter who is chosen to play Superman in the upcoming film, even if Boyega does correctly predict either Page or Majors, the actor with the role will definitely have some large shoes to fill and increased scrutiny from certain segments of fandom due to the fact that it will be the first time the character has been played by a Black person on screen.
A release date for the new “Superman” film has yet to be announced.
